Heartlines
by itsnotaboutlove
Summary: Five years is a long time, dealing with everyday life on a starship. Rose Conrad is in for the ride of her life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Storyline in which Andrea from **_**Never Let Me Go & Cosmic Love **_**doesn't exist. Also takes place after the events of Nero and the destruction of Vulcan. **

The passengers aboard the _Enterprise _dodged left and right, as a young woman ran down the hall, bumping into them. A few PADDS hit the ground, as her shoulder slammed into a disgruntled man, who cursed after her. Too caught up in escaping towards the mess hall, the woman didn't bother to turn around and shout a few words back. Throwing herself into the lift, the woman leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

When the lift doors opened, she let out a yelp and fell back against the wall, her hands flying up to her chest to calm her racing heart. Standing before her, was Jim Kirk, who had obviously waited for her to arrive on the bridge.

"Ah, Ensign Conrad," he said, stepping into the lift to stand next to her.

She cleared her throat, "Captain.."

They were both silent as the lift moved down, as the Ensign and Captain stood silently, side by side.

"Could you explain to me why the replicator in my room started dispensing marshmallow shaped rabbits and chicks?" Jim asked, looking down at the woman.

"Jim- I.." she started, but he cut her off.

"Rose, you do realize that every time I call it in, I keep getting disgruntled engineers who aren't pleased with the mess?" he asked.

Rose rolled her eyes, "How do you think I feel when you hack into my computer and change my alarm clock to Mariachi music?" she asked, glaring up at him.

He grinned, "It does get you out of bed and down to sickbay quickly," he said, as the lift stopped.

The doors opened and they both stepped out, Jim taking the lead while Rose followed.

"Yeah well.. you don't have to deal with a grouchy CMO after dealing with bitchy patients all day," she snapped.

"If Bones is giving you a hard time, I can talk to him," said Jim, as they stepped into the mess hall.

"I can deal with Len- I've known him for three years," she said, rolling her eyes.

Jim looked at her and laughed, "And I've known you for five, yet I still find ways to surprise you and catch you off guard,"

"Don't be so proud, James. You're lucky I put up with half the shit you pull, otherwise you'd still be in Iowa, drooling all over the bar," she said, as they grabbed trays and went on line for food.

Once they grabbed breakfast, they headed towards a table in the far corner, away from prying ears.

"So.. I heard you were hanging out with Mr. Chekov last night after he was relieved of his duties on the bridge," Jim casually said, as he scooped a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. "Are you two a thing now?" he asked.

Rose sighed, "First off, this isn't a suitable conversation for this time of the day- or any time of the day- and Pavel is seventeen, Jim. Do you want me to go to jail?" she asked.

"No. Who else will bail me out when I get in trouble?" he asked, grinning.

"Better watch out, Jim. I could leave you to rot in jail.. or have you sent to another abandoned planet," she warned.

He snorted, "And have Spock run the ship for five years? You two can't even be in the same room together, so you know that wont happen,"

"It's not my fault he mentioned to the entire bridge that I was on my period, with his "logical" bullshit talk," she said, stirring her tea around.

"Could you not talk about your.. female issues, as I eat my breakfast?" he asked in disgust.

They ate in silence, ignoring the stares they received from members of the crew, as they sat a their tables. They couldn't understand why the Captain of the _Enterprise_ was having breakfast with an Ensign, who spend most of the day in sickbay.

The communicator on Rose's belt began to beep, making her groan. Pulling it off the belt, she looked at the screen and saw that McCoy was calling her.

"Can't a girl eat in peace?" she asked, as she turned the communicator off.

"Welcome to my world," Jim said, as he tossed his empty plates onto the tray. "Come on, I'll walk you down. Besides, I need an update on how he's running the place," he said, as they stood up.

"No, you just want to distract me and piss him off even more," she said, as they dropped their trays and plates off to be washed.

"That's only half true, Rosie. We've only been in transit for six days, and I'm already bored," he said, as they stepped back onto the lift.

"Oh how Captain-ish of you, Jim. Already bored of being in control of the best ship Starfleet's produced in years," she said, rolling her eyes.

Stepping out onto the medical floor, Jim threw his arm around Rose's shoulders, pulling her in for a tight, one-armed squeeze.

"And just think Rose. We have five whole years on here and I can annoy you anytime I want!" he said,

Rose groaned, "I hate you," she mumbled, as they stepped into sickbay.

Jim laughed, "No you don't. You adore my handsome face and charming personality!" he exclaimed.

She could only roll her eyes, before bracing for the wrath of Dr. Leonard McCoy. Rose Conrad knew today would be a bad day, as she heard the doctor yelling from his office.

"You see why I can't stand working with him! When he's not in full doctor mode, he's fine. But get him around bio-beds and cases of lung-worm, and he becomes the devil himself," Rose hissed, as they started towards Leonard's office.

"I heard that, Conrad. You better get in here now, since you're already late!" Leonard snapped, as a nurse quickly ran out of the office.

Rose and Jim exchanged looks, before Jim nodded to her.

"I'll deal with him," he said, before stepping into the office.

She heard Leonard groan and snap at their friend and shook her head. Letting out a nervous sigh, she stepped into his office and began her day of hell.

_I won't last five damn years on this ship. _


	2. Chapter 2

After a long day in sickbay, Rose returned to her quarters, completely exhausted. Stripping out of her uniform, she hopped into the shower and let the scalding water wash away the stress and grime of sick patients. The muscles in her neck and back loosened a bit under the beating water, releasing the build up pressure and stress she felt for days. Once she finished, Rose stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around her body.

Stepping out of the bathroom she walked out to the small sitting room and screamed. The towel nearly fell off her body, but she was quick to grab hold of it.

"JAMES TIBERUS KIRK!" she shouted, as he lounged on across the sofa.

He smirked at her, "You look good. Have you been working out?" he asked.

Rose rolled her eyes, "How many times have I told you, to not sneak into my room?" she snapped.

Jim counted silently in his head, "I'm not sure of the exact number," he said.

She huffed, "We have communicators, Jim. Can't you at least call me?" she asked.

He sat up on the sofa, "I figured you'd need the company after a rough day with Bones. He called me after you left and complained-" he said.

"Let me get dressed and we'll talk," she said, before disappearing into her bedroom.

Ten minutes later, Rose reappeared in a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting top. She was running a comb through her hair, as she sat down next to Jim on the sofa.

"So what happened?" he asked, as she braided her long red hair over her shoulder.

"This slime ball from engineering came in with burns and thought it would be nice to grab my ass," she said, tying the end of the braid with an elastic band.

Jim raised an eyebrow at her and she continued, "So.. I gave him a black eye," she said, with a shrug.

He snorted, "That's not all you gave him," he said, looking over at her. "You broke his nose,"

"He's lucky I didn't break his hand," she retorted.

Jim sighed, "You can't just hit people whenever they do something, Rose. I can't have you taking out crewmembers," he said.

"So are you writing me up? Suspending me and leaving me at a star base?" she asked.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Rose moved close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Neither. I'm gonna take you off Bones' service for a while and put you on the bridge with me and the others," he said.

Rose groaned, "Why?" she asked.

"Because you have other skills that will be useful to the ship, besides administrating hypos and putting stiches in," he said, as she yawned.

"You just want me around for entertainment. Or to simply drive me insane," she mumbled.

Jim laughed, "That too. But I can't take another angry call from Bones, Rosie. He wanted to report you to Pike," he said, his tone now serious.

Rose lifted her head up and looked at him, "Look, I know he's your friend and he only tolerates me because I'm your best friend.. but you could tell him to stop being such a prick," she snapped.

"But I like watching you get all mad. It's quite sexy," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Rolling her eyes, Rose pushed away from him and got up off the sofa. Making her way over to the replicator, she retrieved two cups of tea and headed back over to Jim.

"How many times do I have to tell you that no matter how many "flattering" comments you give me, I wont sleep with you?" she said, before taking a sip of her tea.

"One day you will. I'm just waiting for the moment when I spring the perfect compliment on you. Then you wont be able to resist me, "he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose sighed, "You're presumptuous. And annoying," she snipped.

Jim spent an hour in her quarters, before being summoned back to the bridge by Spock. Rose walked him to the door and he turned to face her, taking her hand into his and placing a kiss upon her knuckles.

"Goodnight Rose," he whispered, before stepping out into the hall.

The door closed with a quick swish, and Rose stared at it. Looking down at her hand, she quickly held it against her chest and sighed, for her heart was racing. Shaking her head, she quickly disposed of the empty teacups and moved to her bedroom. Pulling the blankets down, she climbed in between the cold sheets and snuggled into the mattress.

"Lights off"

The computer complied and the entire room was swallowed in darkness. Within a few seconds, Rose fell into a dream-filled slumber.

The next morning, Rose found herself up on the bridge awaiting for Jim's arrival. Pavel and Nyota greeted her after stepping off the lifts, and soon after, Hikaru arrived for his shift.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were with McCoy?" he asked, taking a seat at his post.

Rose sighed, "I was.. but I was requested by the Captain to be here for a while," she said, rolling her eyes.

Nyota laughed, "I guess you pissed someone off," she said, as she fiddled with her controls.

"I don't know how my self-defense is such a big deal," Rose said, shrugging.

"You can't always claim that physical harm is self-defense,"

Everyone turned and watched as Jim came strolling in, smiling at his friends and crew-members. Rose sighed in annoyance, as she sat in his seat. With hardly any sleep, due to the flood of dreams she had, Rose was very cranky and wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed.

"Up from the chair please," said Jim, as he stood before her.

"Not until you tell me why I have to be up here," she said, crossing her legs.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Jim sighed. "I requested your company on the bridge, because we are approaching a planet at 1100 tomorrow. I know you have specialties in both botany and historical research, in which both skills would be great help to us," he said.

Rose sighed, "How thoughtful of you, Jim. You want me to help you look at plants for god knows how long," she said.

Hikaru snorted and quickly covered it up with a cough, before setting course to their location.

"Yes. Now, please get up from my seat," he said with a firm voice.

With a huff, Rose pulled her self up off the chair and moved to the side. Jim grinned at her and sat down, while she stood with a frown on her face

"Where am I supposed to sit?" she asked.

Jim smirked, "You could sit on my lap?" he offered.

A few snickers rolled around the room, and Rose glared at him. "I'd rather not," she hissed.

"You can sit with Lieutenant Uhura. She'll give you a rundown on the native language for Pandorium. You'll need to know the basic greetings and what to expect upon arrival," he said.

Rose nodded and headed towards the woman, before taking a seat next to her.

"Oh and Rose," Jim called, turning his seat towards her direction.

Rose looked back at him, "Yes?"

He smiled, "Try not to beat anyone up while you're here. I can't transport down to a planet with half my crew in sickbay," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and quickly turned back around, earning a smirk from Nyota.

"Stop smirking and teach me the damn language. Preferably how to give permission for kicking the shit out of our Captain,"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! :D All names for plants are totally fake, just so you know! **

Pandorium was a strange planet in which the weather changed every day, temperatures either dropping below freezing or rising to 120 degrees. The landscapes ranged from mountains to deserts, with areas of endless fields and splotches of color within. The first thing that caught Rose off guard was the sky. It always had a bluish- purple tint, with light pink clouds. The planets and moons that surrounded Pandorium could be seen clearly in the sky, as they rotated around the planet.

"It's so strange…" she said, as the small group from _Enterprise _followed their Pandorium escorts.

Jim looked around at the gardens they were being led through and nodded, "It really is," he answered.

"This is the Queen's gardens," Ranasha- one of Queen Ansaha's ladies- said, as she stood next to a stone bench. "The former King wanted his Queen to have the best collection of statues and flowers for her viewing," the young woman said.

Leonard stood by the Captain and Ensign and rolled his eyes, "This is what you dragged me down here for?" he hissed, as Ranasha led them out of the gardens and towards the fields.

Jim shrugged, before reaching out to touch a pink flower. Rose quickly smacked his hand away, before dragging him towards the exit.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked, shaking his hand in pain.

"That's a Rilliuam flower, Jim. Its nectar is used to for the common flu vaccines. And you're allergic to it," she said, as Ranasha led them into the fields.

Jim smiled, "Ahh, worried about your Captain?" he asked.

Rose glared at him, "I don't want to sit with you in sickbay trying to keep your throat from closing up," she snapped.

He threw his arm around her shoulders, "I know you truly care for my wellbeing, Rosie. There's no need to be ashamed of it," he said.

Leonard snorted as Jim smooth-talked his way into Rose's charms, as the young woman led them through the grounds. After a hour of exploring, Leonard and Rose managed to find suitable plants to bring back to the ship in hopes of creating new vaccines and making more of the ones they had. Heading back to the Queen's castle, Rose went back to the room she was sharing with Nyota, while Jim and Leo met up with Spock. They were to have dinner tonight with the Queen and the high officials of Pandorium.

"I don't get why we have to get all dressed up. It's not like we're royalty or anything," Rose said, as the Queen's ladies helped the women get ready.

While they were out, the Queen had gowns picked out for her two female guests. Nyota was given a one shoulder, dark blue gown, which sparkled under the lights. IT was a formfitting gown, which Nyota was very pleased with, as the women helped her into it. Rose received a hunter green gown, which went exceptionally well with her peach skin-tone and red hair. Rose had never worn a gown that was as fancy as the empire waist-off the shoulder-gown.

"Because we're guests and the Queen wants us to look our best?" Nyota asked, as she fixed her hair.

Rose sighed, watching as a young girl pulled her curls up into a bun. The Queen requested that diamond encrusted bands were to be placed around her red mane, for she claimed that Rose had "a beauty that my people will envy, yet admire forever." Rose found it a bit creepy that the Queen wanted her to dress in a certain way, but tried to brush off any ill feelings towards it.

"I still think it's ridiculous. And this dress is too tight for my liking," she said, shifting in her seat.

Nyota rolled her eyes, "Oh please.. your dress is loose from the waist down," she said, as Rose slipped her feet into the matching green heels.

Rose stood from the chair and sighed, "I don't see what all the fuss is about. I'm more dressed up for this than you! I look like a damn sparkler!" she exclaimed, pointing to the heavily beaded bodice of the gown. "How come I have these rope things in my head?" she asked, looking at the young woman who helped her.

"Stop being mean to the girls. They're only doing their job! Now let's get going before we're late," she said, before thanking the women who helped them.

Nyota and Rose left their rooms and headed down the long hallway to the stairs, while Rose grumbled about.

"They even gave me gloves. Gloves, Nyota. What the hell is this?" she snapped, as she pulled at the elbow length gloves on her arms.

"Would you stop being such a baby and enjoy the moment?" Nyota asked, glaring at her.

Rose rolled her eyes, "How could I possibly enjoy the ten pounds of makeup and everything else I'm wearing?" she sarcastically asked.

The women walked in silence, before reaching the staircase. Rose stopped and shook her foot, as the shoes pinched her toes.

"You go ahead. I'll be right down once I retain any feeling in my foot," she said, as Nyota nodded.

"Don't you dare think about running off! I will not sit down there alone with a bunch of men," she warned, before moving down the grand staircase.

Rose could hear Jim at the bottom of the staircase, as Leonard and Spock conversed with the others.

"Why Nyota , don't you look pretty," Jim said, the grin ever so apparent in his tone of voice.

She heard Nyota speaking, but the words were a blur to her ears, as she tried to focus on the pain in her feet.

"Where's Rose? She didn't lock herself up in her room, did she?" Jim asked.

"Oh, she'll be right down," Nyota said loudly, to remind Rose that she was wouldn't tolerate her bailing.

With a sigh, Rose stepped away from the wall and made her way towards the stairs. She couldn't lie to herself; It was a beautiful palace. The oak architecture and gilded plaques that lined the walls were magnificent. The ironwork on the railings were so detailed and spotless, that it was obvious the Queen had workers on the clock at all times to make the place spotless.

Looking down at the bottom of the staircase, she spotted Nyota with Spock and Leonard, as Jim waited by the bottom steps. She was slightly annoyed that they got to wear their Starfleet uniforms, while she was shoved into a gown and heels. Suddenly, all at one, the annoyance she felt disappeared when Jim looked up at her. The look in his eyes was unreadable and she'd never seen it before, in the five years that they'd been friends. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, as she slowly moved down the staircase.

Stopping at the very bottom step, Jim smiled at her and took her hand into his, placing a kiss on her gloved knuckles.

"I've always wanted to do that," he snickered, which made her giggle.

He then held out his arm, and she wrapped hers around it with a small smile. Jim led her towards their crewmembers and other Pandorium officials.

Leonard turned around and whistled, "Well look at you. You clean up real nice," he said, as his eyes traveled from her head to her toes.

Rose smirked, "I wish I could say the same for you," she snipped, which earned her a glare.

"Be nice," Jim whispered to her, as he elbowed her lightly on the side.

"I would be nice, but I'm wearing a dress. You know how I feel about dresses," she said.

Jim was about to reply when one of the Queens' men came out, "Dinner is ready. Follow me please,"

Everyone made their way towards the dining hall, as Rose and Jim stood behind at the stairs.

"I think you look lovely, Miss Rose. Now, put a smile on that beautiful face and let me escort you to dinner," he said.

Rose blushed at his choice of words and simply nodded, allowing her friend to lead her after the group.

_What the hells going on here? _she thought, as her heart thumped loudly in her ears and hard in her chest.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on Rose. Open your eyes. Open your eyes for me."

Rose groaned as she opened her eyes, wincing at the bright fluorescents blinding her as she blinked. She squeezed her eyes shut, and let out a strangled cry as the pain ripped through her body. Someone grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly, while another brushed her hair away form her face. Opening her eyes, Rose was met with Jim's face and he looked relieved to see her awake.

"W-what happened?" she croaked, as her throat burned.

"You were poisoned. We had to beam back to the ship and warp out of Pandorium's territory," he said, as Leonard came over to check on them.

"Ah, you're awake. How do you feel?" he asked, using the scanner to check her stats.

Rose frowned, "Poisoned? What are you talking about? And we left?" she asked, as Leonard marked off her stats on the PADD in his hands.

Leonard nodded, "One of the Queen's daughters slipped Pandorium Sillioman into your food. It's used to kill rodents and other pests that attack their crops," he said.

"Oh god.." she mumbled, as a wave of sickness washed over her.

Jim quickly grabbed the trashcan, and Leonard helped her up into a sitting position as Rose vomited into the can. Once she finished, Leonard to the trashcan and disposed of it, while Jim helped her lie back against the pillows.

"Why did someone poison me?" she asked, as he filled a glass up with water.

Jim sighed, "The Queen wanted to use you," he said, glancing down at her pale face. "For reproduction.." he finished, picking the glass up off the table.

He sat down on the side of the bio-bed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her up a few inches so she could drink. When she finished, Jim set her back down carefully and placed the glass onto the bedside table.

"Why? And how?" she asked, confused.

"She had plans to kidnap you later that night and moving you to another location on the planet. Her reasoning was that you had a rare beauty that Pandorium lost nearly two hundred years ago. After we arrived, the Queen had a list of men who'd already requested to mate with you," he hissed, the anger apparent on his face.

Rose felt the urge to throw up again, as she let the news process in her head. _Mate. _The Queen wanted to use her as a sex slave, to create life with the men of Pandorium. To create a hybrid that would rule her world long after she and her daughters were gone.

"What happened after you found out?" she asked.

"Well, one of her daughters confessed that she was the one who put the poison in your food. Her fiancé was one of the men who requested to take action in this.. disgusting plot, and she was jealous. The Queen tried to keep us hostage, but I managed to contact Scotty and he beamed us out of there. Oh, and I shot the Queen," he said, as if it was no big deal.

"You what? Jim! Oh god, now they'll contact Starfleet and you'll be in trouble…" she moaned, closing her eyes in both annoyance and pain.

Jim rubbed her arm, "I don't care. Let the Admiral call me and yell. I couldn't let that bitch take you away and use you like a science experiment," he said, as she shifted in pain.

"While you're actions were insane… thank you. For saving me," she said in a soft whisper.

He nodded, "I'd do it again no matter what the consequences are," he said.

Leonard came back over to the bio-bed, holding a clean trash can and a towel. Rose frowned, as he set both next to the bed.

"What's that for?" she asked, eyeing the towel in his hands.

"Well, I managed to extract most of the poison out. But by the time we got down here from transport, some of It already made it into your organs," he said, setting the towel down.

Rose looked at him with wide eyes, "What?" she yelped.

"Don't worry, you're not going to die or anything," he said, as he checked the PADD.

She rolled her eyes, "That's great, McCoy. But I have poison sitting around in my organs!" she snapped.

"It's only in your stomach and intestines. Now, you're going to get really sick. A lot of throwin' up and a fever. You might have some bowel movement, but we'll have to wait and see on that. But based on how long the poison was in your system and how much is left, it looks like you'll be throwing it up. Had I waited to extract it, you'd be dead right now," he said, starting hard at her.

Rose closed her eyes and sighed, "Fucking wonderful. I didn't sign up for this shit! And I just got over having mono!" she cried.

Leonard patted her shoulder, "Could be worse, kid. Remember that when you're thinking of how you'll thank me later. Whiskey would be nice," he said, before walking back to his office.

"I don't like him. I don't like him, Jim! Oh god…I'm gonna be sick," she groaned, as she began to gag.

Jim quickly grabbed the trashcan and held her hair back as she began to empty the poison from her body. Rose clutched the can to her chest, puking every few seconds, as Jim rubbed her back.

"It's alright, Rosie. I'm here. I wont leave you," he told her, as she whimpered.

It took four hours for Rose to get everything out of her system, leaving her dehydrated and burning up with a fever. When Jim was called up to the bridge halfway through the ordeal, he told Spock to deal with whatever issues the way he saw fit. He couldn't leave his best friend alone in sick-bay. Once the puking stopped, Leonard came by with a hypospray for her fever. He then gave her a mild sedative and an extra blanket for the chills that wracked her body, and monitored her progress.

When she was finally asleep, Jim carried the trashcan and dirty towel to the garbage chute and tossed them in, before moving to the sink.

"She'll be out for a while, Jim. You can head up to the bridge. I've got everything under control, "Leonard said, as he watched him.

Jim shook his head, "I'm not going anywhere, Bones. I'll just set myself on the chair by the bed and wait for her to wake up,"

Leonard rolled his eyes, "You're the Captain, and you need to relieve Spock from his shift!" he snapped.

Jim turned to look at him, "We are at warp and I am not leaving. That bitch almost took her life, Bones. I'll be damned if I just up and walk away while she's recovering," he snarled.

Leonard sighed, "You should really tell her how you feel, Jim," he finally said.

"And risk losing one of the best and longest friendships I've ever had? I can't do it, Bones," he said, rubbing his hand across his face.

"So you're gonna keep screwing random girls from the bars and being all sweet to Rose? What if she's feeling the same thing about you? I saw the way she kept looking at you tonight before all the bullshit went down. Same can be said about you, and I know you weren't looking at the dress,"

Jim sighed as he leaned against the counter, watching as Rose slept under the pile of blankets. The fear he felt, when she collapsed on the transport dock as they returned, nearly ripped his heart into two. The anger he felt when the plot came to light, and how he felt unsatisfied that he didn't kill the damn Queen before Scotty beamed them out. He would risk his job as captain for her and he didn't give a damn. The idea of any man touching Rose made him sick, especially when it came to using her as an incubator.

Leonard sighed, "Kid, eventually you're gonna have to tell her. You wont be able to keep those feelings bottled up while running a ship. My suggestion is that you do it sooner rather then later. Before someone scoops her up and courts her," he said, before disappearing into his office.

Just as Jim was about to make his way back to the bio-bed, Christine popped into the room.

"Captain? Admiral Pike is calling in from his office. He's requesting to speak with you," the blonde said, as Jim turned to look at her. "He wont take no for an answer,"

He sighed, "Alright. Thank you, Christine. I'll take the call in my office," he said, looking back at Rose.

She smiled softly at him, "You go ahead. I'll sit and watch her until you come back," she said, moving past him.

"Page me if she wakes up or if anything happens," he said, before making his way out of sick-bay and towards the lifts.


	5. Chapter 5

To say that the Admiral wasn't pissed off would be a dream come true for Jim. But sure enough, Christopher Pike was very pissed at the young captain. Pissed and relieved that he managed to save Ensign Conrad and his crew, before any serious damage could be done. But now Starfleet was in a crisis, for they'd lost any chance of adding Pandorium to the federation or allowing other ships to send crews down.

"_I think I did everyone a favor, Pike. They only want to use our people for reproduction. And I'll be damned if the Queen gets away with it!" _He shouted, as Pike tried to lecture him.

He ended the call with a warning from the elder man, and went back to sickbay, relieving Christine of her watch. He sent her to her quarters, suggesting that she'd get some rest before her next shift, and took his spot next to Rose's bed. He watched as she shivered in her sleep, getting extra blankets to keep her warm. When they didn't work, Jim kicked off his boots and climbed into the bio-bed next to her and gathered her up into his arms, holding her tightly. Jim could've sworn that he heard her teeth rattling, as she shook, and rubbed her back to warm her up.

"J-Jim," she croaked, stirring from her slumber.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep, Rosie," he whispered, holding her tightly.

She moaned and settled her head against his shoulder, before falling back into a restless slumber. Jim settled next to her, and watched as she slept, trembling and whimpering through the pain and discomfort. He felt the anger running through his body, when he thought of what the Queen wanted to do with Rose, and wished that he aimed a little higher when he shot her. He didn't care if Starfleet lost their chance with signing a peace treaty. Pandorium didn't fit Starfleet regulations, with their plans to snatch suitable hosts to create new life with. Especially when it was a forced act upon the host.

How anyone didn't catch this little fact about the planet was beyond his understanding, and realized that he didn't have a single crewmember onboard who specialized in the history of planets besides Earth. Rose was good when it came to catching up on news and historical facts of other worlds, though Pandorium wasn't well known since Starfleet never made contact with the planet until now. Jim decided that he would call Pike again and see to it, that every planet in the galaxy would be researched before any contact was made with them. He couldn't risk another event like Pandorium.

A few hours later, Rose was slowly waking up after a long and restless night. Her entire body ached and her mouth was dry, with the aftertaste of vomit. Her head was pounding while her throat burned, begging to be nourished with water. Rolling over, Rose came face to face with Jim, who was passed out next to her. He had one arm behind his head, while the other was draped across her hip. The mountain of blankets that rested upon her body, made her feel like she was suffocating, and she needed to get out from under them.

"Jim.." she whispered, nudging him with her knee.

Jim groaned and moved his hand from behind his head, to his face. Rose sighed, and nudged her knee harder into his leg.

"Jim! Wake up! JIM!" she shouted, which woke him up immediately.

He sat up and looked around the room, before looking down at Rose. He sighed in relief , as she looked at him through tired eyes.

"You're awake!" he said with a yawn, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Can you get these blankets off me?" she asked, as she squirmed underneath her cocoon.

Jim nodded and hopped off the bio-bed, pulling several of the blankets off her, and tossing them onto the chair.

"How do you feel?" he asked, once she was settled with one blanket over her.

Rose sighed, "Like shit," she mumbled, as her head throbbed.

Jim reached out and rested his hand on her forehead, "You're fever went down, which is good," he said, as he removed his hand. "I'll get Bones and see what he says. I'm guessing you want to be in your room,"

Rose nodded, "Please? I can't stand another second in this place,"

He nodded and headed out to find his friend, while Rose rested. A few minutes later, he returned with Leonard, who was relieved to see that his patient made it through the night.

"How do you feel?" he asked, while scanning her.

"Shitty," she mumbled, as he marked off her progress. "Can you give me something for the pain?" she asked.

"Do you want a sedative? Something stronger compared to what I gave you last night?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "Anything that will knock out a horse, will be great," she said.

Leonard nodded "Fine, but how about we move you to your quarters? You'll be spending sometime in there while you recover," he said, as he put a hypospray together for her.

She frowned, "What? How long am I out for?" she asked, looking from Leonard to Jim.

"I put you down for a week," said Jim, as he leaned against the doorframe.

"A week? You can't be serious!"

Leonard nodded, "He is because I requested that you take a week off , which Jim kindly signed off on. You were poisoned and nearly died, Conrad. You're severely dehydrated and I can't have you passing out on patients during shifts," he said.

Rose shook her head, "I'll be fine in a day or two!" she insisted.

Jim moved away from the door and walked over to the bed, helping her sit up.

"Either you take the week or I write you up," he said, as she swung her legs over the side of the bio-bed.

Rose looked up at him in shock, "You wouldn't.." she said, slightly unsure of herself.

"I would. Now let's get you out of here," he said, as she got off the bed.

He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and Rose pulled it up over her head.

"I don't want anyone seeing me. I probably look like death," she said, as she took a step forward.

But instead of walking, she felt herself falling. Bracing herself for impact, Rose was startled to feel two arms wrap around her waist. Looking up, she saw that Jim had caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Thanks.." she choked out, embarrassed that she couldn't even do a simple task, like walking.

"You're welcome. Now, let me," he said, before scooping her up into his arms.

Carrying her out of sickbay, Jim, Rose and Leonard boarded the lift, which took them to the residence floor. Luckily it was early, and the hall was empty, as they made their way to Rose's room. Jim managed to get the door open, while holding Rose in his arms, and carried her inside.

Setting her down on the bed, Jim went to the replicator and retrieved a glass of water, some crackers and ginger ale.

"Now, this should knock you out until dinner-time," Leonard said, as he set the hypospray up for her.

Jim made his way back into her bedroom and handed her the water, "Just give her a second, Bones. She just woke up from a bad night, and a little water would be nice," he said, as Rose slowly sipped the cool water.

"Don't drink too much. This will relax your muscles and you could wet the bed, " Leonard said, with a smirk.

Rose glared at him, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? A little something for blackmail, huh?" she asked.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Do you want to eat something? I got crackers," he said, nodding to the plate he set on the table next to her bed.

Rose looked at them before shaking her head, "Not right now. Maybe I'll be up to eating when I wake up," she said, as the thought of food made her stomach turn.

Leonard nodded, "Soup will good for you. I'll make sure someone brings you a bowl later," he said.

She made a face and Jim smirked, knowing how much she hated soup. He made a mental note to bring her some later during his dinner break, since the idea of anyone else doing it bothered him. It would be a cold day in hell, before he let anyone prepare her food.

"Fine. Now give me the drugs and go back to work," she snapped.

"Looks like you're getting back to your old self," Leonard snapped, as he set the hypo at her neck.

"You haven't seen the worst of me yet," she hissed, as he injected the sedative.

"Sweet dreams, Ice Queen," Leo snapped, as he gathered his things and headed towards the door.

Rose laid against her pillows, "Asshole.." she mumbled, as the sedative worked its way though her body.

Jim sat down next to her, "You should be a little nicer to him," he said.

She snorted, "Never. I'm having too much fun," she yawned.

He watched as her eyes struggled to stay open, as they grew heavy. The sedative was working, as she yawned again.

"Will you come see me later?" she asked, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Jim nodded, "I'll bring you dinner and I'll stay for as long as you'd like," he said, taking her hand into his.

She nodded, feeling a sudden wave of emotion washing over her. Jim was startled to see her eyes fill with tears, as they struggled to stay open.

"Don't leave… S-stay with me. So scar-" she mumbled as the sedative finally knocked her out.

Brushing her hair away from her face, Jim sat by her side for a moment, watching as she slept. Pulling the blankets up to her chin, he leaned over and kissed her forehead, before standing up. As he made his way towards the bedroom door, he looked back and watched her for a few moments, before leaving her quarters and locking the door.

He took the lift up to the bridge and dropped into his chair with a heavy sigh. It was early and he wouldn't be off until later that evening. As he called Spock up to the bridge, he silently prayed that the day would go by quickly. The idea of leaving Rose alone in her room bothered him. He would do anything to be by her side as she woke up. To take her into his arms and promise her that she would be all right, and that he'd always be there for her. Running his hand across his face, Jim let out a frustrated sigh and prepared for the long day ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

The violent dream sent Rose crashing towards consciousness, as she woke up, gasping for air. Swallowing back a shaky breath, she kicked the covers off her and climbed out of bed. With wobbly footsteps, she made her way into the bathroom, and towards the sink.

"Lights sixty percent," she choked out.

The lights went on and she gasped, taking in the haggard appearance in the mirror. Her hair was in tangles and her face way pale like a corpse, the dark circles under her eyes looking like bruises. With a sigh, Rose turned the sink on and washed her face off with the cold water, cooling herself down. Resting her elbows on the edge of the sink, she held her face in her hands, pushing the heels of her palms into her face. Her head was pounding and Rose could've sworn that she could hear the blood pulsing in her ears.

"It was just a dream..just a dream," she told herself, as she slowly lifted her head up.

When her eyes hit the mirror she let out a startled gasp, backing into the wall.

_This can't be real, none of this is real. You're still sleeping, Rose. IT'S NOT REAL. _

In the mirror, she saw herself dressed in blood-stained rags and covered in cuts and bruises. Her once flat belly was round with child, and she could hear the cruel laughter of the Queen and the voices of men calling her name and the sound of their groaning and grunting. Rose trembled as she looked at her mirror image, feeling as if she were falling through open space, struggling to stand and breathe.

Grabbing the hairbrush off the counter, she threw it at the mirror, screaming as it shattered.

'LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed, as she ran out of the bathroom.

_Meanwhile~_

"Captain, it would be logical to call upon Admiral Pike to see what our next course of action would be, " as Spock moved from Nyota's station to the Captain's chair.

Jim groaned and glanced at his watch, relieved to see that it was almost time for dinner.

"I know Mr. Spock. But I'm sure the Admiral is busy with paperwork at the moment," he said, as Nyota turned to face them, a look of worry on her face.

"Captain, I just received a call from the residence floor. Room 232 C reported glass breaking and screaming from 234 C- Ensign Conrad's room," she said.

Jim quickly jumped out of his chair was running towards the lifts, "Call Doctor McCoy and tell him to meet me there, immediately!" he shouted, before the doors closed.

The five-second trip to C deck seemed to take forever, as his mind raced. Something was wrong and he could feel it, deep in his heart. When the lift stopped at C- deck, Jim quickly ran down the corridor and skidded to a stop in front of 234 C. There was no sign of any screaming from behind the door and it freaked him out, as a image of Rose dying in her room, flashed through his mind.

"Rose! Rose open the door!" he shouted, as he pounded his fist against the panel.

When she didn't answer, Jim used his override and flew into the room, phaser ready to shoot. There was no sound within the entire space, and all the lights were off, except in the bathroom. Out in the hall, Leonard could be heard yelling into a communicator as he entered the floor.

"Rose, are you in here?" Jim called, as he moved from the sitting room through the bedroom. "Lights, a hundred percent" he said, as the computer came to life.

Seeing the empty bed and sheets thrown at the end of the mattress, Jim slowly made his way towards the bathroom, holding the phaser out in front of him. The lights were dimmed, making it hard to see within the small space. Once he reached the doorway, he gasped, taking in the sight of the broken glass covering the countertop and floor.

"What the hell.." he muttered, as he looked at what remained of the mirror.

"Jim! Are you in here?" Leonard shouted, as he entered the room.

"In the bathroom," he shouted back, as he kept his eyes on the mess.

A few seconds later, Leonard was standing behind him, cursing at the scene before him.

"What in god's name happened? And where's Rose? " he asked, looking from the glass to Jim.

"I have no fucking clue, Bones. Oh god, you don't think someone from Pandorium got on board and took her," he asked, as panic filled his voice.

Leonard placed a hand on his shoulder, "Relax Kid. I'll call Spock and have him search for any stowaways and then I'll call security and have them look for her," he said, as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Jim turned and headed back into the bedroom, looking around for any sign of Rose. The chair that once stood in the corner had been turned over, leaving the sheer black robe that Rose always wore around her room, on the floor. Picking it up, Jim held the robe in his hands, taking in the feeling of the soft material. Bringing it up to his nose, Jim took in the smell of hyacinth and gardenia flowers, a smell that Jim always looked forward to when he woke up each and every morning. He could hear Leonard outside in the sitting room, telling Spock about what happened.

_You can't be gone. Please give me a sign that you're still here. That you're still with me. _

Jim squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself under control. He couldn't be deemed emotionally compromised and lose control of the _Enterprise. _He needed to be calm and together, despite the fact that the woman he loved was missing. A thud from the closet quickly alerted him, that they weren't alone in the room. Slowly, Jim raised the phaser and made his way towards the closet door, as another thud could be heard from within. Reaching out, Jim typed the override into the panel and the door swished open.

There was a scream from inside, as a figure pushed themselves further back against the wall. Using one hand, Jim pushed the row of uniforms and clothes aside and sighed in relief.

"Rose!"

The red-head sat on the floor of the closet, with her hands over her ears, sobbing and rocking back and forth. Jim quickly got down on the floor, setting the phaser to the side, before reaching out to touch her. Once his hands landed softly on her arms, Rose quickly lashed out, hitting him.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed.

"JIM!"

"Rosie, it's alright! It's me! It's Jim!" he said, as he tried calm her down.

"No, no, no. Please don't take me. Please!" she cried hysterically.

Leonard quickly ended the call with Spock and stood behind Jim, watching as the Ensign went through a nervous breakdown before them. Cursing, he quickly got back on the communicator and called Christine, ordering her to come down to the room with heavier sedatives and a scanner. Meanwhile, Jim made his way further into the closet, trying to keep Rose still as she squirmed in his embrace.

"Don't make me.. Don't make me do it," she sobbed, screaming when she couldn't break herself free.

Jim began to panic, for he'd never seen her in this state of mind. He needed to get her under control before she could hurt herself, let alone anyone else.

"Rosie, please!" he begged, as she sobbed.

He could hear Leonard yelling for help, as Rose cried and gasped for air. It would only be a few minutes before she'd make herself sick again, and Jim knew her body wouldn't be able to take another set of dehydration.

"ROSE! STOP!" he shouted, shaking her lightly by the shoulders.

It was if she finally woke up from a "spell", as she finally looked at Jim, realizing that it was him and not some Pandorium man holding her.

She shook her head, "Jim?"

He brushed the matted curls away from her face, "Oh Rose," he sighed.

Rose sobbed as she threw her arms around him, "Oh god. Oh god, Jim. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, " she cried, as he pulled her onto his lap, rubbing her back to sooth her.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm right here," he said, as she held him tightly.

"Th-they made me…" she sputtered, as her body shook with sobs.

Leonard and Christine stopped at the doorway to the bedroom, watching as the Captain sat on the floor with the distraught Ensign on his lap, clutching his body for dear life. He glanced up at them, before pulled Rose tightly against his body.

"Shh, no one's going to make you do anything. You're safe," he told her, as she sobbed.

After much persuasion by Christine, Rose was whisked off to an empty room on across the hall to change her clothes. Jim and Leonard waited back in Rose's room, in total silence.

"Jim.." Leonard started.

"She's staying in my quarters. I'll have someone clean up tomorrow, but for tonight I want her in my room," he said.

The doctor simply nodded finding no reason to argue with the young man, since it was he who had a stronger connection with the Ensign. A few seconds later, the door opened and Rose was led back into the room with Christine close behind her. She managed to brush the tangles out of her hair, before setting it into a braid. She changed into a new pair of pajamas, and washed her face. Looking up at the men, she wrapped her arms around her middle and trembled. Jim took the robe that he set on the back of the sofa and made his way over to her.

"You're coming with me," he said, as he set the robe around her shoulders.

Rose slipped her arms into the sleeves and wrapped the fabric around her, before tying the belt.

"Going where?" she whispered.

Jim took in the exhaustion and pain that was evident in her face and her body, as she stood before him.

"My quarters. I don't feel comfortable leaving you here alone," he said.

Instead of arguing with him, Rose nodded, too tired to do anything else. She couldn't bear to stay in the room a minute longer, afraid that the dreams would come back to haunt her. Quietly, the group made their way out of the room and down towards the lifts, piling in as the doors closed behind them. When they got out on B- deck, Nyota was waiting for them outside the lifts.

"I came to see if everything was alright," she said, as Spock came out of his own room.

He nodded at Jim, who walked by with this arm wrapped around Rose's shoulders. As Leonard and Christine filled Nyota and Spock in with what happened, Jim unlocked the door to his quarters and walked Rose inside, and towards his bedroom.

"Are you sure you want me to stay here?" she asked, as Jim helped her into bed.

He pulled the blankets up and tucked her in, "Yes. I couldn't leave you down there alone," he said, tossing her robe onto a chair.

She nodded, "Okay," she whispered.

Jim sat down next to her, his hand resting at her side. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, cautiously.

Rose quickly shook her head as tears filled her eyes, "No.."

Jim nodded, "I'll get Christine and she'll give you something to calm you down. I just need to talk to Bones and Spock, and I'll be right back," he said, standing to leave.

Reaching out, Rose grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Jim looked back and saw the fear in her eyes and quickly turned to her.

"Rose, it'll only be a few seconds. I'll tell Christine to stay with you until I come back," he said, as she held onto his hand for dear life.

"Don't go,' she begged.

Jim sighed before turning his head towards the door, "Chris!" he shouted.

A few seconds later, the blonde poked her head into the doorway and looked at them.

"Yes Captain?" she asked.

"Could you administer a sedative for Rose? And would it be too much trouble, if you'd stay with her for a few minutes, while I talk to Spock and Leonard?" he asked.

Christine shook her head, "It's no problem at all, Captain. Let me just grab my medical bag," she said, before disappearing back into the outer room.

A few seconds later, she returned with her bag and made her way over to the bed.

"I promise. Five minutes," he said, as Christine set a hypospray up for the young woman.

Rose nodded quickly and Jim made his way out into the sitting room of his quarters.

"How is Ensign Conrad? Spock asked.

Jim sighed, "I can't even find the words to describe it. Christine is giving her another sedative now as we speak," he said.

"Did she say what happened?" Leonard asked, as he sat on the arm of the sofa.

"No..but I don't blame her. Whatever it was though.. " he shuddered, picturing the broken glass that littered the bathroom.

"I'll come by tomorrow to check on her, Jim," the doctor said.

Jim nodded, "Good. Spock, could you take my shift tomorrow morning? I'll take your evening shift, that way you and Nyota can have dinner together…" he said, before Spock held his hand up.

"Captain, if you want to request a day off, I will kindly do both shifts. It seems that Ensign Conrad will require your presence tomorrow," he said.

"Thank you, Spock. I owe you big time," he said, as the Vulcan nodded.

"If you do not require my presence, I will retire for the evening to prepare for tomorrow," he said, giving both Jim and Leonard a nod, before leaving.

"You better get back in there so Chapel can get some sleep. I can't have my head-nurse sleeping all over patients tomorrow," Leonard said, rolling his eyes.

Jim chuckled, "Thank you, Bones,"

The older man nodded, "No problem, Kid. But you better call me if she has another freak-out. Though, there isn't a stronger sedative to knock her out.." he said, shaking his head.

Jim quickly went back into his bedroom and told Christine that she could return to her room for the night. She left behind an extra hypo with the sedative, just in case Rose wanted or needed it later on. When the door closed behind the doctor and nurse, Jim quickly pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the floor. Rose half-awake, lying quietly on the bed, as Jim changed into a pair of pajama bottoms.

"You feeling tired?" he asked, as he pulled the blankets down on his side.

Rose nodded and yawned in response.

As soon as Jim was laying down, Rose rolled onto her side and rested her head on his bare chest. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Jim pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Get some sleep, Rosie. I'll be right here when you wake up," he said, as he rubbed her back soothingly.


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope everyone had a lovely Easter Sunday! **

The days that followed Rose's breakdown, consisted of sleeping and visits from Leonard and Christine. While Jim had her roomed cleaned out and the bathroom mirror replaced, Rose couldn't find the guts to leave and return to her quarters. And Jim didn't have the heart to kick her out. He too worried about her mental state, as the dreams still consumed her night after night. When she napped during the day, it was peaceful. But as "night" fell upon the _Enterprise, _it triggered the horrors of what could've been.

"Do you want to come down for dinner? Everyone's been asking about you," Jim said, as he returned to his room before the dinner break.

Rose was sitting on the sofa, reading from a PADD, when she looked at him.

"I'm not dressed for dinner" she said, before glancing down at the PADD again.

Jim sighed, "So hop in the shower and change. I'll wait for you out here," he said, leaning against the doorway of his bedroom.

Rose shook her head, "You go ahead. I'll stay here," she said, waving her hand at him.

"Rose, you need to come out sooner or later. Everyone's worried about you, honey. Pavel misses his partner in crime and Nyota misses girl talk," he said, as she read.

She sighed, "They just want to see if I've gone completely mad and let myself go," she said.

Jim sighed, "Get up. Get in that goddamn shower and get dressed. You are going down for dinner and eating a real meal. None of this "I'm not hungry, Jim. I've lost my appetite, darling," he said; mimicking her, full English accent and tone.

Rose looked up at him her eyebrow raised in disapproval and sighed. Shutting the PADD off, Rose placed it onto the coffee table and stood up.

"Fine. But if I sense and sympathetic looks or offers to hang out during breaks, I will leave," she warned, before storming past him.

Ten minutes later, Rose stepped back into the sitting room showered and dressed in a clean uniform. They took the lift down to the mess hall, and found a few of the bridge members around a table with their trays. After retrieving their trays, Rose and Jim made their way to the table and took the two empty seats between Nyota and Pavel.

"Rose! It's so good to see you!" Nyota said, giving her arm a light squeeze.

Rose gave her a small smile as she grabbed a packet of salt for her fries. She glanced at Jim as she shook the salt out, who nodded at her. It was almost as if he was warning her to be nice, for everyone was simply worried about her.

"Are you feeling better, Miss Rose?" Pavel asked, as he leaned forward to look past Jim.

She nodded, "I'm fine, Pavel. Thank you,"

There was some chatter amongst the group, as they discussed their upcoming trip to the Sunflower Galaxy, in order meet up with another Federation vessel. Rose was half-listening to the conversation, as she sat quietly in her seat, staring at the napkin dispenser in the middle of the table. Her food had been left untouched, growing cold as the minutes passed. She didn't even realize that Nyota left for the bridge, when Leonard sat down in her vacant seat.

"How come you're not eating, Conrad?"

His booming voice and southern accent made her jump, as she quickly turned to look at him. He was giving her the famous eyebrow raise, and she frowned at her.

"I-I'm-" she started to say, before he cut her off.

"None of that "I lost my appetite" nonsense. You haven't eaten a real meal since Pandorium. And now your food is ice-cold" he said, nodding to her tray.

Rose glanced a the chicken and fries on her tray before looking back at him, "I'm sorry, I just got lost in a daze," she said, shaking her head.

Jim grabbed her tray and stood up, "I'll go heat it up and you're going to eat half of this. If Admiral Pike came aboard and saw you, he'd think that we were starving you," he said, before walking away.

Rose watched as he made his way back towards the kitchens, before disappearing through the doors. Leonard chuckled and Rose turned her attention back to him, frowning.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Leonard shook his head, "That kid has been constantly worried about you since we came back from Pandorium. That night when the dreams started, he sent my communicator the maximum of messages it can receive, asking me what he should do if you woke up screaming. Then, everyday this week, he would come down to my office and demand to know why you wouldn't eat or why you slept all day long. As if I knew the right answers to his questions. I'm a doctor, not a mind-reader," he snapped, as he ate.

Rose blushed as she looked down at her lap, shocked at what she just heard. Yes, she and Jim were best friends and worried about each other all the time. But never to this extreme, which left her shocked. A bad case of mono left Rose on Earth, as the Narada incident took place. She counted her lucky stars ever since then, due the fact that had she been in perfect health, she would be dead right now. She had no idea that Jim was even aboard the _Enterprise _as well as Leonard, after being locked in confinement.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "What I'm saying is, that boy is so obsessed with you and you don't even realize it," he said, looking at her.

Rose was taken back by the statement and Leonard quickly corrected himself. "I don't mean like- he has a shrine with all your pictures and pieces of clothing or shit. I meant that he has feelings for you that are more than friendly," he said.

"What?" she frowned, as he looked past her.

"Never mind. I didn't say a word," he quickly said, before he turned back to his tray.

Rose was about to speak when she heard someone next to her. Still jumpy around anyone who snuck up on her, she quickly turned in her seat, yelping as Jim stood next to her .

He smiled down at her, "Whoa, it's only me! I didn't mean to sneak up on you," he said, as he set her tray down.

She nodded, "Right.. No, it's alright," she said, as he smiled at her again.

She felt her heart flutter as his dazzling smile and tried to understand what Leonard had told her moments earlier. Maybe he was talking about someone else, another crewmember. But the only visitors she had were Jim, Christine and himself during the week. She'd received messages from the others, asking if she was all right and when she would return to her post on the bridge. All had gone unanswered, for she was too tired or anti-social to respond. But was it true? Did Jim Kirk hold feelings that went beyond friendship? The man who had many hookups during the five years she'd known him, and not one stable relationship? Out of all the girls on Earth or in the entire universe, it was her, Rose Elizabeth Conrad of London, whom Jim Tiberius Kirk had romantic feelings for.

She watched as he chatted with Scotty, who arrived shortly after his shift ended. He sat on the edge of his seat, with one arm on the table, while the other rested on the back of her chair. He laughed at something Scotty said, before turning to look at her.

He smiled that million dollar smile at her," Is everything okay? Do you want me to get you something else?" he asked, nodding to her tray.

Rose blinked and shook her head slowly, "N-no. I'm fine," she quietly said, before turning to her tray.

Picking up a fry, she slowly ate in silence as the men spoke to one another. She could only eat a small amount of food, before feeling queasy at the thought of eating anymore, and pushed her tray away. After a while, Rose began to feel tired and wanted to lie on the sofa in Jim's quarters. The plastic chair became uncomfortable and her back began to hurt as she sat still. Placing the napkin on top of her tray, she put her hand on Jim's arm to get his attention.

"I'm going back to the room," she said, as she stood up.

Jim nodded, "I'll go with you," he said, as he turned to say goodnight to his friends.

Rose shook her head, "You don't have to leave, Jim. I can walk back on my own, " she said.

But Jim shook his head, "It's fine, Rosie. Besides, I'm off for the rest of the night. Spock was off last night, remember?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "Right. How silly of me to forget," she said, smiling briefly.

Jim smiled back and quickly turned his attention to Scotty, Pavel and Leonard and bid them a goodnight, before standing up. The men wished Rose a good night and hopes that she would be up on the bridge soon, and she smiled at them before waving goodbye. Dropping their trays off at the garbage chute, Rose and Jim went back to his room.

Once inside, Rose quickly went to change into her nightclothes, while Jim kicked off his boots and lounged across the sofa. When she stepped out into the sitting room, dressed in her nightdress and robe, she stood by the doorframe and watched as Jim checked over his messages. He mumbled and sighed as he read something that had little to no interest to him, or if it was something that annoyed him.

"So, how many of those messages are from Admiral Pike?" she asked.

Jim looked up at her and grinned, "About.. twenty-seven of them. Most are the ever repetitive "Be on your best behavior, Kirk" or "Don't do anything stupid today," kind of messages," he said, shrugging as if the messages didn't phase him.

Rose sighed, "You give that man a lot of work, Jim. You should go easy on him, too. Poor man has a long road of recovery ahead of him, and your cowboy actions aren't helping," she said, coming over to sit down next to him.

Moving his feet off the sofa, Rose sat down and rested against the plush pillows, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Does your back hurt?" he asked, watching as she shifted against the pillows.

She nodded, "A bit. I've grown accustomed to lying down all day, that my body is being forced back into standing or walking," she said, letting out a hiss.

Setting the PADD down on the table, Jim motioned for her to turn around.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as he lightly turned her around.

"Giving you a massage. You know, working the kinks out?" he said, as she looked back at him.

"Since when did you give free massages out?" she asked, as she turned around all the way.

Jim laughed, "I don't. You should be lucky that you're the first customer," he said, as his hands lightly fell on her shoulders.

She snorted, "Lucky M-Ohhh.. Hmmm," she gasped, as his hands began to work out the knots in her neck and shoulders.

Jim smiled at the response as his hands worked along her shoulder blades and down her back, pushing deep into the strained muscles.

"You're- you're quite good with your hands, Jim. I'm surprised," she breathed, as his fingers moved down her spine.

"Why thank you," he chuckled, as she let out a light moan.

As his hands moved further down her back, Rose trembled as the hairs on her arms and neck stood up. Goosebumps popped up across her skin, and shockwaves moved within her body. Just has his hands slipped under the bunched up robe and nightdress, Rose quickly jumped up, turning around to face him.

Jim held his hands up in front of him, "Sorry!" he quickly said, as she breathed heavily.

Rose quickly shook her head, "It's alright. I just.. wasn't expecting that," she said, placing her hand on his arm.

He nodded as his hands dropped to his lap, "Do.. Do you want to try to get a link set up for a movie? Or are you tired?" he asked.

Rose stared him as he watched her, breathing heavily as she blinked. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the next thing she knew, her lips were on Jim's and she was pulling him down on top of her, sinking deep into the sofa.


	8. Chapter 8

The Captain and the Ensign didn't get very far with the unexpected make-out session, only settling for stolen kisses and hands exploring on top of clothing. Rose was too exhausted to take it a step further and Jim couldn't and wouldn't push her into having sex after the week she had. Instead, they moved from the couch to his bedroom and lounged across is bed in the dark.

"So what now?' he asked, as she cuddled against his side, her hands resting against his chest.

Rose shrugged, "We take it slow? Keep it to ourselves for a while? I don't know Jim, I don't want to jump into something so serious and have it end in disaster," she said, rolling out of his embrace.

Jim looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "I want to do this right, Rose," he said.

Rose turned to look at him in the darkness, "Define right, Jim," she said, as he turned to look at her.

He could see very little of her face, as the dim lights of the moving stars filtered through his bedroom. Even in darkness, she was still beautiful. Something that amazed him each and every time he looked at her. Rolling onto his side, Jim took her hands into his and gave them a light squeeze.

"I mean taking you out for dinner during shore leave, and pulling out your chair before you sit down and pushing you in. Buying you flowers and making you breakfast in bed. I want to try being a gentleman for once in my life," he said.

"You make it sound like you're a wild animal, with no respect towards anyone or for yourself. I always think you're polite to me, despite our playful banter," she said.

Jim chuckled, "That's because you're the only one that understands my personality. The only woman that is. But I'm tired of the one-night stands and just sleeping with women and bailing after the act is done," he said.

Rose nodded, "Well, if you're only going to use me to find yourself a girlfriend or wife, you can count me out, " she said, before rolling over on her other side.

Jim slid across the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm not nor will I ever use you, Rose. If I can't make it work with you, I guess I'm destined to be alone forever," he said softly.

Rose bit down on her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep herself under control. She was always the strong one in this friendship, up until recent events that is, which turned her into an emotional mess. Everyone always told her that it would take a tragedy or a horrific event to bring two people together, and in return that would change everything they knew.

"We keep it to ourselves and take it slow. I don't want this to end with both of us getting hurt and spending five years trying to avoid each other on this ship. And the last thing we need is Pike finding out and trying to put his authority in motion," she said.

Jim nodded, 'He has a soft spot for you, which I need to keep in mind. You're like one of his children and he's always asking about you," he said, remembering the link connection he had earlier with the Admiral.

Rose smiled, "That's because I was the best student he had. And I never gave him a hard time like you always did and still do to this day,"

Rolling back over to face Jim, she saw that he was smirking.

"Somebody has to bust his chops," he said, shrugging.

Rose snorted, "Whatever you say, darling. Can we finish this conversation tomorrow? I'm tired and I still don't feel up to date with myself," she said, stretching her legs, wincing as her knees and hips cracked.

Jim made a face of disgust, "You sound like a breaking chair.." he said, as she pulled the pillow further down under her head.

"Sexy isn't it?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

He snorted, "Never dated a girl that creaked so much. Now I'll know when you leave the bed in the middle of the night or when you're coming down the hall,"

"Shut up! It's not that loud. I just need to see Leonard and or the physical therapist onboard," she said.

Jim pulled fixed his pillow and pulled the blanket up a little higher, covering them both from the cool chill that filled the room.

"Mmmhmm, whatever you say creaky," he yawned, before closing his eyes.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast from the replicator, Jim escorted Rose down to sickbay. Leonard checked her vitals and used the scanner to check for any infections or other surprises that the poison would've left behind. When she came up all clear, except for low blood sugar and minor dehydration, he cleared her for duty, despite his protesting.

"IF you feel the slightest start of fatigue or anything out of the norm, you bring your ass back here immediately," he said.

Rose rolled her eyes, "So if I start breaking out into hives and my eyeballs start to bleed, I need to come down and see you?" she asked, as Jim chuckled.

Leonard grumbled and he marked a few things off on her chart, "I see your smartass attitude is still intact. Do you save it up for long periods of time, before unleashing it to your innocent victims?," he snapped.

"Only for you, love. Jim's immune to it and the others are too nice for my attack., so that leaves you," she shrugged.

"Aren't I lucky," he mumbled, before leaving to check on his other patients.

Jim moved away from the counter and made his way over to the bio-bed, "Lets get going. I'm already late and I need to assign you for light duty," he said, as Rose hopped down of the bio-bed.

"Light? Leonard cleared me which means I'm obviously fine to work," she said, as they left sickbay.

"You still need to take it easy, Rose. I know you don't want to land yourself back into sickbay and we know Bones doesn't want that either, " he said, as they took the lift up to the bridge.

Rolling her eyes, Rose stepped out of the lift and made her way onto the bridge, waving at Pavel and Hikaru as they got ready for their shift.

"Maybe you can sit with them and they'll show you navigation and how to set routes, especially since we are supposed to head out for another galaxy next week," said Jim, as he took a PADD from one of the crewmembers.

"If you insist, Captain," she said with a smirk, before walking away.

Jim watched as she stood between Hikaru and Pavel, asking questions and pointing to different controls on their stations. She laughed at something Pavel said, and Jim sighed.

"You're gonna be the death of me, Rose," he muttered, as he checked the itinerary for the day.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: This chapter takes six months after the last! Anyways, this chapter has a lot of cursing… so yeah. **

In the following months since the Pandorium incident, Rose slowly took control of her life and made progress in her recovery. It took a month for her to eat a full meal, without throwing up, and she had lost drastic weight because of it. She moved back into her quarters by the third month, but always found herself back in Jim's after waking from a nightmare. After many conversations, Rose and Jim decided to take their friendship to the next level, and became a couple. Dating on a ship in the middle of space wasn't exciting, as they had a lack of options of what to do, but they somehow managed to make it work.

They would share their meals- depending on the time of day- in one or the other's quarters, or pull up a link to catch up on a few movies or shows that were airing on Earth. No one, except for Leonard, knew that the two were dating. Rose was sure that Spock knew, but was glad that he never asked; at least, not when she was around. The last thing they wanted was an entire crew questioning them.

"So I was doing paperwork today, and I still have you listed on Bones' service, though you've spent more time on the bridge," said Jim, as he lounged across Rose's bed.

Rose poked her head out of the bathroom, her hair half wet from her shower, a hairdryer in her hand.

"Do you want me to leave the bridge and go back to Leonard?" she asked, frowning.

Jim shook his head, "No, not really. But it's up to you. I could put you down for both, and we can figure out a schedule that would satisfy bridge duty and Bones," he said.

Rose pondered the thought of splitting her time between both places, "But what if I wanted to spend all of my time on the bridge? What would I be doing?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom.

Jim sat up on her bed, and rested against the headboard. "Well, Sulu says you're really go at plotting and pulling up maps of almost every planet in the Federation- as well as those that aren't. Plus, that report you pulled up about the potential new home for Vulcan was extraordinary. Pike wouldn't shut up about it the other night. I swear, he was like a little girl meeting her celebrity crush- kept gushing about how "brilliant" you are and how the _Enterprise _is lucky to have you aboard," he said.

Rose blushed and looked down at her feet, "Well, I guess I'd like to try the Bridge. But if I don't like it, can I go back to Medical?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I can't see how you'd hate being up there with me. Besides my good looks should make you want to stay, since Bones always has his grumpy face on,"

She laughed and headed back into the bathroom to finish drying her hair, as Jim picked one of the many PADD's off her night table, powering it on to read whatever she had programmed into it. As he surfed the web, checking the news back home as well as the score of a baseball game, a notification popped up informing that Rose had twenty-six new emails. Jim tried to close the notification, but he somehow managed to find himself in Rose's email account.

He saw that several of her emails were from Pavel, Nyota and Christine, along from her friends at the Academy. Jim tapped on the screen to close out of the mailbox, when the entire page shot to the bottom, where emails from almost five years ago were stored. Jim frowned when he saw several from Christopher Pike, the subject matter of the emails listed as personal. Jim looked up from the PADD and listened as Rose dried her hair. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to read some old emails, he looked back at the screen and opened the first one.

It was dated the first night at the Academy, almost three years ago, and Jim squinted to read the text on the screen.

_Cadet Conrad,_

_I was surprised to see you boarding the shuttle from the Riverside Shipyard today with Jim Kirk. I was also surprised to see you again, after the events from the night before. And I could see the shock on your face as well, when it was I that greeted the newcomers as they boarded. Rose, if I may call you Rose, I do hope that what transpired between us, doesn't interfere with your studies at the Academy. This is a first for me, since I've never experienced a scenario with a Cadet on this personal matter. If you'd like, I can assign you to another advisor since I am listed as yours, when it comes to making your schedule for the next semester._

_Best Regards,_

_Captain. Christopher Pike_

Jim frowned at the email, wondering what Pike meant by the "events from the night before". Trying to remember exactly what took place that night, when Pike rescued him from the bar fight and insisted he join Starfleet. Rose had been at her apartment, packing up to leave for the shuttle that would take her to San Francisco the next day. He remembered calling her, only to get the voicemail and finally gave up, driving down to the Shipyard to see the unfinished _Enterprise _sitting at the drydock.

Clicking on a later email dated during their second year at the academy, he found his answer as to what had happened between Rose and Pike.

_Christopher,_

_I don't know how much longer we can keep this a secret. You're secretary most likely knows what we're doing in your office- especially since I come by three days a week on your lunch break. Jim and Leonard keep demanding to know where I sneak off to after dinner as well- and I'm sure that I'll be seen, sneaking into your apartment! Some days, I'm tempted to just end this entire thing.. but then I feel guilty. We are two lonely people, who just happened to be attracted to each other sexually and share the same interests. You've become a great friend and mentor, if we can leave out our sexual activities from the equation, and I fear that if this ends- I will lose that. God, it's late and here I am rambling on in an email about my fears.. hopefully you wont even see this bloody thing or disregard it. I will see you tomorrow during lunch at your place.._

_Until then,_

_Rose._

Jim felt the world crash down around him, as he took in the information. Rose and Pike had a sexual relationship. His best friend and former Captain- now Admiral- managed to keep a three-year sexual relationship under wraps, while both attended to their duties at the Academy. Jim suddenly remember all those times when Rose claimed she had studying or extra lab work to do, during lunch or after dinner. All this time he thought she was working on classwork, when she was really working on her and Pike's sexual needs.

"Hey, when do we have shore leave? I'm running low on a few things and you know I'm not a fan of the shampoo the showers provide here.." Rose said, as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair now dry.

Jim looked up from the PADD in his hands and watched as she twirled her hair up into a bun, pacing a hairpin straight through to keep it up. She looked at him and frowned, for he was clutching the PADD tightly in his hands.

"What's wrong? And why are you gripping that thing like it's a lifeline? IF you break it, I'll have to get another one," she said, walking over to the closet.

Jim watched as she opened the door and dug around for a sweatshirt, cursing as a pile of folded quilts fell from the shelf. Rose got down on her knees and scooped the quilts up, fixing them into a pile.

"So when were you going to tell me that you and Pike were fuck buddies?"

He didn't mean for the words to come out so harshly, but he couldn't help himself. Noticing that Rose had stopped moving and remained quiet, angered him. She was his girlfriend and for all he knew, she could've been sleeping with Pike on the side before they even left.

Rose cleared her throat and stood up, holding the pile of quilts in her arms. She then stood on her toes and shoved them back onto the shelf, before turning around to look at him.

"I see you've taken an interest into snooping through my things. How typical," she spat, brushing her hands across her thighs.

Jim got off the bed and stalked over to her, "Pike? Really Rose? You fucked the Admiral?" he spat.

Rose looked up at him, blinking at his blunt statement. "I'm not some crewmember that you an command and scream at," she started, glancing at the Starfleet emblem on his shirt, before looking back up at him. "I'm your girlfriend!"

Jim laughed bitterly, "My girlfriend? MY GIRLFRIEND! Yes, yes you are my girlfriend, Rose. My girlfriend who kept three years worth of fucking emails from her fucking lover!" he yelled, grabbing her by the arms.

Letting out a yelp, Rose stared at him wide-eyed, as his face changed into the face of evil. "So this is why Pike is always going on about you! How perfect you are and how much of a wonderful addition you are to the fucking ship. Did you even know before hand that he was a top official? Huh? Is that why you got all the fucking special treatment in the Academy, getting into all those classes that everyone else worked their ass off for? Are you still fucking him, Rose? Do you love him?" he shouted, shaking her.

Gathering her thoughts, Rose found her strength to push him away. Jim stumbled backwards, nearly falling, only to quickly catch himself.

"How dare you!" she shouted back.

"Dammit Rose! What else have you been hiding from me?" he snarled.

Rose stormed out of the bedroom and into the sitting room, collecting the PADDS and empty coffee mugs from the tables. Jim followed after her, pissed as hell that she was ignoring his questions.

"Answer me! Do you love him?" he shouted.

Rose dropped everything on the small table in the kitchenette and whirled around to face him, "I DID! I DID LOVE HIM!" she screamed.

Jim was taken back, as Rose trembled before him, trying to control her temper- failing as each second went by.

"You are unfucking real. So what were you going to do with me? Sleep your way to the fucking top? Hope that I'd promote you to a higher rank? Is that how you get shit done, Rose? Who else have you slept with? Leonard? What, did you fuck him to get onto his service? What about Pavel? Hikaru? Who else Rose?" he hissed.

"That's real fucking grand, Jim. Who the hell are you to judge me for who I've fucked, when you fuck any woman who is willing to open their legs for you? It's bloody alright for you to sleep with have the female population at the Academy, but I fuck one man and it's the end of the goddamn world?" she screamed.

Jim ran his fingers through his hair, "The fact that you've hid this for three fucking years, kills me. Here I am, trying so hard at this relationship- telling you everything and being honest, and you couldn't even tell me that you were with Pike for three years," he said, shaking his head.

"It's not something you bring up, Jim. I didn't tell you, because you know that you'd react the same way that you are right now. It's no ones business as to who I've fucked in the past," she said.

"Are you still with him?" he asked, looking at her straight in the eye.

Rose looked away, glancing at the small window, the stars whizzing by as the ship moved in warp speed.

Jim watched as she bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Rose.."

"No,"

"Dammit Rose. Just be honest for once. Can you do that? Can you be honest for once?" he asked, as his temper began to rise at her stubbornness.

Rose sighed and looked at him, defeated. "I slept with him before we left. It was the last time and this conversation is over," she said, pushing away from the counter.

Jim watched as she cleaned the mess of the table, before laughing again. Rose looked up at him, before returning to her task of cleaning the broken glass up.

"This.." he said, pointing between the two of them, "This is fucking over. We are done," he snapped, as he went to gather his things from the sitting room.

Rose continued cleaning up as Jim stalked back into the kitchen, his boots on his feet and his communicator clipped to his belt.

"You know, I should've let that fucking bitch take you. I bet you would've enjoyed having all those men fuck you. Right? It's what a slut like you would like, huh?" he hissed, before punching the control pad by the door.

Rose watched as he stormed out, the door sliding shut with a _WOOSH. _It took her a few minutes to finally realize that her hands were shaking, as she held the other coffee mug in her hand. Glancing down at it, she turned the glass in her hand, the Starfleet emblem looking back at her. With a scream, she threw the mug across the room, watching as it hit the wall and shattered to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

**Took a risk with adding this juicy plotline. It came up during a conversation with a group of friends, in which Jim is "betrayed" by the woman he loves and the only positive father figure he had in his life since joining Starfleet. It was quite interesting! **

After his outburst, Jim stormed down to sickbay and ignored the protests from Christine as he moved by her desk.

"Jim, he's bus-" she yelled after him, as he used his override to open Leonard's office door.

The door swished open and Leonard was at his desk, feet up and knocking back a glass of bourbon. Looking up from the glass he groaned, for he would not have a moment to himself tonight.

"What now? Can't anyone get some peace and quiet 'round here?" he asked, setting the glass down on the tabletop.

Jim grabbed a glass off the shelf and poured himself a decent amount of the liquor, before throwing it back. It winced as his throat burned, before slamming the glass down on the desk.

"I broke up with her," he finally said.

Leonard frowned, "You broke up with Rose?" he asked, confused.

It was only hours ago, that Jim was in this very same office, talking about how he was going to tell the young woman that he loved her. And his plans for a romantic evening when they took their shore leave next week.

"Who else would I be dating, Bones? Yes, I broke up with Rose," he snapped.

"But.. why? You were all about sayin' you loved her and shit. What happened? He asked.

Jim pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in deeply. "I just found out that my girlfriend was having a grand old time, fucking Pike for three years.." he said.

Leonard looked down at his empty glass and sighed, "I'm gonna need more alcohol for this.." he muttered, as he reached out for the bottle of burbon.

Two hours later, Jim was sitting on the sofa in Leonard's office, drunk as hell.

"She's a fuckin' bitch, Bonesy. I guess she likes her men old and in higher power," he slurred, as he reached for the bottle.

Leonard quickly grabbed it and moved it to the shelf behind him, "Jim, if she said it was over, maybe it is…" he said.

Jim looked up at him and frowned, "You fucking her too? Huh? Hell, she probably fucked everyone on this ship,"

"No Jim. I didn't sleep with Rose and I never heard no rumors about her sleeping with anyone, but you. Everyone's been talking about how close you two have gotten in the last six months and everyone knows she spends most of her time in your room," he said, sighing as Jim laughed bitterly.

"I never fucked her.. and I sure as hell don't want to now. I don't want the Pike's sloppy seconds.." he snarled, before hiccupping.

Leonard got up from his desk and moved around it, to stand before Jim. "Let's get you back to your room, kid. You're gonna have a massive hangover tomorrow," he said, pulling the younger man up by the arm.

Meanwhile, Rose sat in her room, staring at the blank screen of her computer. It was only two in the morning back in San Francisco, and she debated on even making the call. With a sigh, she dialed the number and waited for the link to go through. After several seconds, he appeared in front of the screen.

"You better have a good reason for calling at this ungodly hour...Rose? Is that you?"

Rose nodded, "Hi Chris.." she said softly.

Pike ran his hand through his hair, blinking his tired eyes to get a good look at her. He saw the tearstains and the red blood-shot eyes, and the bedraggled hair.

"You've been crying. What happened?" he asked, alert and concerned.

Rose sighed, "Jim went through my things earlier.. He found the emails and he knows. He knows about us Chris," she said

Pike closed his eyes and sighed, "What happened?" he asked.

"He flipped out. Accused me of screwing everyone onboard and asked if my relationship with you was in exchange for special treatment… then he said that he should've left me in Pandorium because a slut like me would enjoy it.." she said, looking down at her lap.

He cursed, "That little shit. Rose, you know he didn't mean it. Kirk is a stubborn man, who doesn't like it when he learns the truth about things. You are his friend and you know he didn't mean it," he said, as she shook her head.

"No No it's over. We aren't friends anymore, Chris. We are nothing to each other now. It's done," she said, blinking hard. She then looked back up at him and smiled sadly, "Do you remember what you asked me? All those times during our relationship? And even before I left?" she asked.

Pike nodded, "Yes, why?" he asked.

She smiled sadly at him, "I was going to say yes. When I came to your place that night, I was going to say yes. But then you told me that the _Enterprise _needed me and that it was in my best interest to go," she said, as tears filled her eyes.

Pike sighed, "Rose.. you are so young. I couldn't let you give up everything, to stay down here and take care of me. That is not the life you want.." he said, as she sniffled.

"I think I would've been happy, though. Wouldn't you? No more hiding and keeping everything hush-hush? We could've moved! Starfleet operates in London, and we could've gone there…" she said.

"Rose, you're tired and upset. You know that what you're saying now is not how you truly feel," he told her, as she broke down.

Rose angrily swiped at eyes as the tears fell, "I think I would've been happy as your wife. Damn you for talking me into coming on this goddman ship," she hissed, as a sob escaped her.

Pike shook his head, "Rose, you deserve someone better. Our relationship was- is.. toxic. Everything we've been through? It should've ended after the first time, hell even the second time," he said, ashamed at what he did to the woman on the screen.

"You've ruined me.. and I've ruined you as well.." she said, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I know. I know, Rose. And I'm sorry," he said, truly regretting the damage he inflicted upon the young woman.

Rose shook her head, "I'm sorry I called. I wont bother you anymore," she said, quickly.

Pike was about to respond, when she ended the link, the screen going black. Rose sat in her seat and stared at the screen, shaking slightly as she blinked. She then grabbed the PADD next to her and turned it on, opening a blank email. Addressing it to Admiral Barnett, she filled out the subject line with a heavy heart.

_Request for transfer effective immediately. _


	11. Chapter 11

**The other day I posted a OS about Rose/Pike's relationship, **_**Hurts Like Heaven, **_**if ya'll want to head over and read it. Here's the next installment of **_**Heartlines.**_

The next few days went by in a blur. Rose returned to Leonard's service, ignoring the schedule that was sent to her PADD for the bridge, which was set up before her blow out with Jim. Luckily, she didn't see Jims' face for days, as sick-bay became a war zone. Engineering became an unstable unit, leaving workers with burns, cuts and concussions. A few strains of the flu and a stomach virus, kept Rose busy way past her shifts. It was there, that Jim found her, several days after he last saw her in her room.

"I want you to take it easy, Lieutenant. Just because you stopped throwing up and rushing to the loo, doesn't mean you can eat all you want.." she said, tapping away on her PADD.

"Yes Ma'am,"

She smiled briefly, before moving to another bio-bed. Jim made his way through the floor, before standing across from her.

"Ensign Conrad,"

Rose quickly looked up at him, her glasses sliding down her nose. Her face displayed a look of shock, but only for a moment, and quickly vanished as a look of annoyance graced her face.

"Can I help you, Captain?" she asked, hissing out his title.

Jim rolled his eyes, "I need to speak to you," he said, as she blinked. "In private,"

Rose sighed, before turning to a nurse overlooking another patient. She handed over her PADD and told the woman to call her if Leonard came looking for her. Then she followed Jim out of sickbay and into the hall.

"Where would you like to chat?" she asked, as he moved down the hall.

Jim stopped in front of an empty recovery room, and quickly keyed in the override. Stepping aside, he held his hand out for her to walk by, which she did. Once they were in the room, the door closed behind them and left them in total darkness.

"Lights, one-hundred percent," Rose said, as she turned to lean against the counter. "Can we make this quick? I have patients to see," she said, looking down at her nails.

"I received an interesting email today from Admiral Barnett," Jim started, looking over at Rose, who showed no emotion on her face.

"Really? I hope it was a coupon for some outlet back home…" she said, as she cracked her stiff knuckles.

Jim laughed bitterly, "It seems that one of my crewmembers has requested an immediate transfer once we attend to our shore-leave,"

Rose looked up at the wall and sighed, as Jim paced before her.

"Care to tell me what the fucks going on?" he snapped, stopping to face her.

"Why the hell do you care? We aren't friends anymore, James," she spat, using his full name.

Jim stepped closer to her, "You may have forgotten, but it's also up to the Captain to sign off on the paperwork for transfer. I've denied your request, stating that you are mentally unstable to leave the _Enterprise, _and you are receiving psychological treatment from Leonard,"

Rose saw red, "WHAT? How dare you!" she shouted, pushing him away from her.

"You can't just run away from your problems, Rose. What's would you do if you got into a fight with someone on another ship? Request to leave that one too? There's so few ships at the moment to transfer on. So for the time being, you're stuck here," he said, as she shook with rage.

"I hate you. I will forever hate you, Jim. Until I take my last fucking breath, I will HATE YOU," she hissed, before opening the door and storming out, leaving him ashamed and slightly pleased with himself.

As the weeks and months passed, Rose kept to herself during her shifts, and only hung out with a select few. Shore leave came and went, and she found herself miserable on the _Enterprise, _wanting out. She managed to survive the first year in space, and knew that the next four would eventually kill her. Then there were nights when she sat at her desk, Pike's link number dialed and ready to connect. She would never find the strength or the guts to put the call through, because it would be like a former junkie having a relapse. That's what Pike was to her now. A drug that she managed to recover from, with a side-effect of relapse. She found it more difficult when the anniversary of her miscarriage came and went. Had she gone through to full term, her baby would've been two years old, almost three. Instead of talking to the man who almost gave her the chance to create a new life, she drank her sorrows away.

"Are you alright, Rose? You haven't been looking too good the last couple of months," Nyota said, as she and the Ensign sat in the cafeteria.

Rose nodded, "I'm fine…" she mumbled.

"You haven't touched a single thing on your tray," she pointed out, as Rose looked down at the untouched food.

Rose shrugged and pushed the tray away from her, "I just haven't found the strength to eat anything.. I think I'm getting a stomach bug," she said.

Nyota sighed, "Rose you've been acting off your game for months. You spend all your time in sickbay- yes I overheard Len telling Spock how you've been taking extra shifts and working on your scheduled days off. You don't eat and you reek of booze. We're worried about you Rose- Me, Spock, Pavel. Leonard is ready to sign off on your mandatory time off," she warned.

Rose rolled her eyes and Nyota continued, hesitantly. "Even Jim is worried," she said, glancing up at the girl.

She snorted, "Right. Jim? Jim Kirk is worried about me? He doesn't give two shits about me. For all I know, he would leave my dead body in the hallway if he were to walk past," she hissed.

Nyota sighed, "When Len told him that you dropped twenty pounds after your physical, he demanded to know what he was doing to you. Nearly tore his head off, thinking that he had you working like a slave.." she said.

Rose stared at her, "Stop lying, Nyota. Jim only pretends to care, because it makes him look good. I'm sure if half the crew wasn't standing around, he wouldn't give Len another glance before making some ridiculous comment," she said, waving her hand at the woman across from her.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you two, but he does care and worry about you. If he comes to see you, just be nice. It wouldn't hurt to see what he has to say to you- true feelings or following regulation," Nyota said, as she stood up to leave.

Rose sat quietly at the rickety table, staring at the specks of gold and silver the littered the tabletop. After a while, she grew tired and a massive headache was coming on. Getting up, she tossed the now cold food into the bin and made her way out of the cafeteria and to the lifts. Once in her quarters, she stripped out of her uniform and collapsed onto her unmade bed, wearing nothing but her bra and panties.

Just as she was about to slip into a fitful slumber, the door chime went off. Growling, Rose pushed herself up off the bed and made her way out to the door. Punching the keypad, the door swished open.

"You better have a good excuse for bug-Jim.." she said, startled to see him standing outside her door.

He took in the lacy undergarments and she quickly wrapped her arms around her bare torso.

"I was about to crash for the afternoon. What do you want?" she asked, pointing out that she wasn't waiting for anyone to come by.

Jim cleared his throat, "I need to speak with you.. can I come in?" he asked.

Rose hesitated for a moment, exhausted and not in the mood for another fight with the man. Finally, she nodded and moved aside so he could step into the room. She then closed the door and followed him into the sitting room, bracing herself for a fight.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose and Jim sat across from each other in the sitting room, the awkward silence filtering between the two. Rose sat in her undergarments, staring at the coffee table, while Jim stared at her. She had yet to cover herself up, which gave him the opportunity to see how thin she got over the recent months. Whatever curves she once possessed, were now bones jutting out like knives. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her cheekbones were hollow.

"Rose.. I came here to apologize," Jim said, watching as she shifted in her seat.

"Apologize?" she asked, laughing bitterly.

Jim looked down at his clasped hands, "I know it's been months.." he started.

Rose looked up at him, "Why are you even bothering?" she snapped.

"Because I can't stand to see you do this to yourself! Look at you!" he shouted, as he waved his hands at her.

Rolling her eyes, she quickly stood up from her seat. "Get out, Jim! I will not have you bloody lecture me about how I look! You have no right to even tell me what I should and should not do! You don't know me anymore!" she yelled, as she stormed over to the door.

Jim quickly got up and went after her, grabbing her by the arm and lightly pushing her against the wall. Rose tensed at his touch, and tried to push him away.

"Let go of me!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Rose, please! I can't just sit by and watch you disappear before my eyes," he said, as she tried to knee him in the groin.

"Yeah well.. you should've thought of that before snooping through my things!" she snapped.

Jim shifted his hips to avoid her knee, before pushing his leg between hers. He then pinned her against the wall, her arms at her sides.

"Listen Rose… you're no walk in the park. You're a spoiled little brat, but under all that.. you're the most amazing person that I've gotten the chance to meet. What I did was wrong and I've been living with that for almost a year now. I want to make things right again between us, Rose. I should've stayed and listened to your side of the story," he said, as she looked at him.

She blinked back tears as she looked at him, "Stop it.." she whispered.

"There's a fire in you that drew me in. You were so bright and consuming, that my darkness fell in. You changed me for the better, Rose. In all the years I've known you.. But now that fire is burning out. I can see it. Everyone can see it. You're slowly burning out and I'm afraid that you'll disappear before my eyes. That fire that I love about you… I can't turn my back without knowing that you'll be alright," he said, reaching up to cup her check.

Rose lowered her now free hand, and swallowed the lump in her throat. She let out a shaky breath, as the first set of tears rolled down her face.

"It's not up to you to save me, Jim. I can take care of myself.. it's not your job to worry about me all the time,"

Jim shook his head, "No, you're right. It's impossible to follow your every move, when I have an entire ship to worry about. But I can't help it, Rose. And I won't stop. Even if you wont accept my apology, I will always worry about you. 'Til the day I die, your well-being is my concern," he said.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, when the alarm went off. Both jumped at the blaring whistles and horns, as Spock's voice came over the Comm.

"Code Red. I repeat, Code red. Prepare for an attack. Everyone to his or her stations for duty. Captain Kirk, report to the bridge immediately"

Rose quickly looked at him, "Get dressed and report to sick-bay," Jim said, as he quickly grabbed his things from the couch.

She stood against the wall, trembling as he moved. "You stay there until further notice and prepare for the worst. We will finish this conversation later when this is done," he said, moving to the door.

She watched as he pressed the keys on the pad on the wall, "What about you?" she asked.

"What about me? I'm the Captain. I need to find out what the hells going on, and then figure out how to keep us from getting killed," he said, as the door swished open.

Rose nodded and Jim moved close to her, "I mean it, Rose. Do not leave McCoy's side and you stay safe," he said, before kissing her hard on the mouth.

Then he was gone, leaving her against the wall, shocked and overwhelmed with emotion. She stood there until Leonard's voice blared through her room, ordering her to bring her "skinny ass" down to sick-bay. Dressing quickly, Rose ran through the halls and took the lifts, which were packed with crewmembers. The floor to sick-bay was flooded with people, already injured. A blast shook the ship, which set forth screams and objects flying.

"CONRAD! GET IN HERE NOW!" Leonard shouted, as he worked on a man, bleeding profusely from a head wound.

Christine was juggling bandages and hyposprays, as more and more people came flooding in. Rose quickly moved from bio-bed to bio-bed, distinguishing who needed immediate attention and those that didn't make it. It seemed like hours had gone by, when in reality it was only minutes, as another shutter ripped through the ship.

"What the fucking hells going on?" Rose snapped, as she held onto the edge of a bio-bed.

"Klingon warbirds. Came out of warp and started firing upon is," Christine said, as she tended to a burn on a young woman's arm.

Rose administered a hypospray with morphine to one man, so she could attend to his injuries, without his crying. It was obvious that they were overwhelmed and understaffed for this attack, having a difficult time recruiting anyone willing to board a ship after the attack on Vulcan. As she worked her way through the flood of patients, the supplies ran low.

"I need you to get more bandages and alcohol swabs. In fact, grab anything and everything you possibly can. I don't know what's going on up there, but dammit , if we get anymore patients we're going to be housing them all over the damn place, "Leonard barked, as he attended to a broken arm.

Rose nodded and tossed a pile of bloody gauze pads and ripped uniforms into the garbage chute, before running out to the hallway. She pushed through crowds of engineers, being brought in with severe burns and various crewmembers- unconscious and covered in blood. Rose watched with wide eyes, as she moved, making her way to the end of the hall. She started typing in her key code, when she heard a scream.

"WATCH OUT!"

She felt a tug on her arm and a hot blast as someone threw her on the floor. The last thing she remembered was her head hitting something hard and the screams, that lulled her into darkness.

_Bridge_

"Is that the last of them?" Jim asked, as he stood from his chair.

Sulu and Chekov glanced at each other, exhausted but relieved, before turning in their seats to look at Jim.

"All war-birds are destroyed, Captain. Shall we send word to Starfleet and any other ships?" Sulu asked.

Jim nodded, "Yes. The Admirals and other ships need to be on alert. Lt. Uhura, please keep watch over the scans. If any transmissions come though that signals another attack, please report it to me and to other ships. Spock, you have the bridge. I need to see how bad it is down in sick-bay," he said, before stepping into the lifts.

"Captain!" Nyota shouted, as she ran towards the lift.

Jim paused the doors from closing, "What's wrong, Ny?" he asked, as she looked at him with worry.

She sighed, "Deck six was hit and severely damaged. Massive casualties are being reported by Chapel," she said.

He paled and cursed, "You get Bones on the goddamn Comm, and you tell him I'm coming down there," he said, as the doors closed between them.

The entire ride down to deck six felt like ages, as Jim leaned against the wall, praying to god that Rose was safe. He knew that Bones was fine, after a paged him during the final attack on the war-birds. Chapel was safe, Scotty was safe. Half the ship was safe.. but they'd lost so many in this ridiculous attack.

When the lift doors opened, he was taken back by the destruction. It was bad the first time _Enterprise _suffered an attack, but this time, it was worse. Bodies scattered the floor, as nurses or abled crewmembers went to work to check for survivors and remove the dead. Wires and pipes hung from the ceiling, sparking every so often. Water flooded the floor from the damaged bathroom, which was in the direct path of a torpedo, turning red from the blood. When he finally made it into sick-bay, he was overwhelmed.

Doctors and nurses moved like headless chickens, trying to treat the serious injuries and to figure out who had a chance and who didn't.

"Jim!"

He looked up to see Christine coming towards him, her uniform covered with blood and burns.

"Where is she?" he asked, as a shrills scream came from one side of the room.

Christine looked at him sadly, "She's in surgery. Leo sent her to get more supplies when a torpedo hit the floor.. JIM!" she shouted, as he quickly moved past her, running down the hall towards the surgery rooms.

He could hear Leonard shouting for more suction and light as he ran down the hall.

"Dammit! She's gonna need a blood transfusion! I need lots of O positive- and I need it fast," he yelled.

A nurse came flying out of the room and Jim quickly entered it, coming to a halt as he watched the scene before him. Rose was hooked up to a set of machines, as Leonard worked quickly on her.

"What happened?" he asked, watching as Leonard tried stop the bleeding.

"Dammit Jim! You can't be in here!" he shouted, keeping his eyes on Rose.

Jim stepped forward, "Bones! What the fuck happened to her?" he said, loudly this time.

Leonard looked up at a nurse, "Get him the hell out of here! He shouldn't be seein' this!" he said, as the nurse handed the gauze pads to another woman.

"Captain Kirk, it's best if you wait outside," she said, lightly placing her hands on his arm.

"No! NO! BONES!" he shouted, as the nurse pushed him out of the room.

As he stumbled out into the hallway, the nurse that fled the room just moments before ran past with packets of blood. As the door closed behind her, Jim could hear the awful beeping on the machines.

"Dammit! Hurry the hell up!" Leonard shouted, as the rustle of feet and panicking filled his ears.

Jim slid down the wall and shook his head, "Oh god.. oh god, no.." he breathed, burying his face into his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

Twelve hours. Twelve very long hours had gone by, as Jim sat and waited. Waited for any news on Rose to come out of sick-bay, as he was forced to address the damage the ship had suffered. Once it was confirmed that the _Enterprise _would have emergency dock at a local star-base, Jim left the bridge and full control to Spock and went to sit in Leonard's office.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the older man stepped into his office and spotted the young captain on his couch.

"You've been here long?" he asked, making his way to the closet.

"Four hours…" Jim said, as Leonard changed out of his blood-stained shirt. "How is she, Bones?" he asked.

Leonard slipped the clean shirt over his head and turned to face him, "I've never met a woman, who was so determined to live," he said, as he went behind his desk to get a bottle of whiskey off the shelf.

Jim watched as he poured two glasses and kindly accepted one, as Leonard came around to sit on the edge of his desk.

"What happened? Jim asked.

Leonard threw back his drink and sighed, "She suffered a massive concussion when she hit the ground. A few broken ribs, one that punctured a lung, which I've managed to save. Her heart stopped twice, Jim. She's very weak. Not only is she severely underweight, but she's lost a lot of blood. Thank god I forced the local hospitals to stock the blood bank up, because had I not she would've died," he said.

Jim nodded and quickly threw his drink back, wincing as it burned his throat. He then set the glass down on the table and stood up.

"I want to see her," he stated.

Leonard nodded, "I know. She's unconscious though, Jim. I had to put her under so she could get some rest. Once she wakes up though.. It's not going to be good," he warned.

Jim managed a weak smile, "Well, we'll tackle that obstacle when we reach it. But for now, I want to see her,"

Leonard set his own glass down and led him out into the carnage that was his sick-bay, and lead him down the hall to the more private rooms that were luckily unharmed during the attack. Leonard punched in the passcode and moved to the side, as the door opened, allowing Jim to walk into the dimly lit room. Leonard programed the lights to sixty percent, allowing Jim to get a good look at the woman laying in the bio-bed.

"Jesus.." he whispered, as he slowly walked forward.

"The bruises on her face should fade in a week or two. Everything else however.. I want her on full bed-rest and when she's back in her quarters, I'll set it up to have two nurses with her all at times. One in the morning and one in the evenings. I'll see if Christine wants in, since they're both friends," Leonard said, as he checked over her vitals.

Jim pulled the stool away from the counter and placed it next to the bed, sitting down slowly as he kept his eyes on Rose. He carefully took her hand into his, and held it.

"I'm such a fucking asshole.." he said, shaking his head.

Leonard looked at him, "Jim.. no one could predict that this would happen," he said, but Jim shook his head.

"I let her get this way, Bones. God, had I just been calm about the entire fucking thing with Pike.." he shook his head, "Dammit, why the hell did I let it go this far?" he asked.

"Kid, things happen for a reason. Maybe that fight was supposed to happen, because maybe something big will come your way. Fate works in mysterious ways.. trust me, I know," Leonard said, before fixing the IV in Rose's arm.

Jim laughed bitterly, "Fate… yeah Bones, fate is a nice motherfucker," he said, shaking his head.

"Look, if you want her back.. you need to take it slow. You can't expect her to forgive you overnight after months of not talkin'. For now, you can be here at her side as she recovers from all this. She's gonna need support and I don't see why you can't be the one to help her," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a destroyed sick-bay and patients to look over,"

Once Leonard left the room, Jim sat quietly holding her hand as she slept in her drug-induced coma. The machines held a steady beep, letting him know that she was still alive. Still there with him. Her eyelids fluttered as she slept, and Jim wondered what she was dreaming of. Him? Pike? Or if she was in a nightmare, unable to escape under the weight of morphine and whatever cocktail Leonard gave her Unable to do anything, Jim just sat there and waited.

When she finally woke, Jim had fallen asleep, resting his head on the thin mattress. He could hear the whimpers and groans, as Rose came to. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Jim slowly lifted his head up and winced as his neck and back cracked.

"Jimmmm.."

He quickly turned his head and saw that Rose was awake, grasping the bed sheets in one hand and his in the other. He could see the pain etched on her face, as her eyes filled with tears.

"Rose!" he cried, as she let out a howl.

Quickly, Jim reached for the communicator on his belt and quickly paged Leonard. A few minutes later, he and Christine came running into the room.

"She just woke up!" Jim said, as he moved from the stool to the bed.

Christine quickly put together a hypospray at the counter, while Leonard checked her heart rate and blood pressure.

"You don't know how good it is, to see you alive," the doctor muttered, as he waved a light in her eyes.

"Hurtsssss…" she choked out, as Jim lightly wrapped his arms around her..

"Be careful Jim! I didn't spend twelve hours working on her, for you to rip her stitches open," Leonard scolded.

Jim was about to respond, when Rose let out a blood curdling scream. Instantly, she began to cry as the pain ripped through her body.

"I need that hypo TODAY, Christine!" Leonard yelled, as he tried to hold Rose down.

Christine quickly ran to the bed and handed the hypospray over, watching a Rose thrashed upon the bed.

"A quick pinch…there we go," Leonard said, as he injected the morphine into her body.

Jim held her lightly, rubbing her arm, as she slowly relaxed. Her breathing slowed and her eyelids drooped, as the medicine worked its way through her body. Christine cleared away the vials of medicine she left on the counter, before leaving the room.

"I'll come back later to check on her. She'll be out for a while," Leonard said, as he made his way to the door.

Jim nodded, keeping his eyes on Rose. As Leonard opened the door to leave, he heard the soft singing from Jim, and turned around to look.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you.. please don't take my sunshine away…"

Feeling like an intruder, Leonard quickly dimmed the lights and stepped out into the hallway, taking one last look at the Captain and the Ensign, before the door closed swiftly shut.


	14. Chapter 14

A few hours after Rose woke up, Jim was called back up to the bridge to confirm several orders from Admiral Barnett. They would report to a starbase within the next twelve hours and stay until further notice, while the ship underwent repairs. When Rose finally woke up, she found Pavel sitting at her bedside reading a PADD.

"Ah! You're avake!" he exclaimed, smiling at her.

Rose blinked a few times, "W-water?" she asked.

Pavel nodded and settled the PADD onto the table and quickly got up to fetch a glass of water.

"Please. Drink weary slov. I don't vant McCoy to yell at me," he said, as he helped her up.

Rose hissed at the pain ripping through her body, but kept it under control so she wouldn't frighten the young man. She managed to get a few sips down, before handing the glass back to him. Sinking down against the pillows, she let out a sigh.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Ve are docking at a starbase for repairs. Ze ship vas hurt real bad," said Pavel, as he scooted closer to her bedside.

Rose nodded, "I hope they have real food there," she mumbled.

"Do you vant food? I can find you some?" he asked, ready to stand up again.

"No! No Pavel, thank you. I probably shouldn't eat anything until Leonard says it's alright. And it'll probably be soup or something unappealing," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Pavel nodded, "Oh okay. But I vill sneak you something good. Vhat about those tea bisceets? Those are good, yes?" he asked, blushing slightly.

Rose smiled, "I'd love some,"

At that moment, the door to her room opened and Leonard came in with a PADD in hand.

"Well, look who's awake! Chekov what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the bridge?" he asked, scolding at the young man.

"I'm off duty, sir," Pavel said quickly.

"It's fine, Len. He's keeping me company which I need," she insisted, as he scanned her for updates.

"Yeah well.. he should've asked first instead of sneakin' by," he muttered.

Rose glanced at Pavel and rolled her eyes, which mad the young man snort. Leonard glared at both of them, before tapping away at her chart.

"You feel up to eatin'?" he asked.

Rose shrugged, "Not really. But I'm sure you'll force me to eat," she said.

Leonard nodded, "You bet your ass I am. I'll have Christine send in some soup and more water. Then I'll check your stitches when we don't have prying eyes," he said, glancing at Pavel.

"Be nice, Lenny. He's my friend and so help me god, I will beat you senseless if you scare him off from visiting me," she warned.

"Yeah and I got a hypo with your name on it," he shot back, before disappearing from the room.

"Don't worry Pavel. I've got your back," she mumbled, "Now, tell me everything about this starbase we're going to," she said.

Jim was heading down to sick-bay, when Christine came out of the lounge room, carrying a tray.

"He's letting you eat dinner?" he asked, smiling as the blonde turned to look at him.

Christine laughed, "I wish. No, this is for Rose. She's awake and Leo wants her to eat something.." she said.

Jim smiled, "Sleeping Beauty is awake? Since when?" he asked, as they walked down the hall.

"She was up and chatting away with Chekov when Len walked in," she said.

"So that's where he went! Kid said he was heading to the cafeteria for dinner and then to his quarters for bed," he laughed.

Christine shrugged, "You know how protective she is of him, Jim. While many believe he's too young to be on the bridge and make fun of his accent, Rose looks out for him like a mother hen,"

Jim nodded, "How about I take that in to her and you get some dinner? I won't take no for an answer either. Bones may be the CMO, but I'm the Captain and my orders trump his," he said.

"I am starving," she mumbled, before sighing. "Just make sure she doesn't over do it. He wants to make sure she can keep some of it down without throwing it up. Probably wants her back in her own quarters by tomorrow afternoon," she said, handing the tray over to him.

"I will kindly let the grump know. Now, go and get some food!" he said, as the nurse went off to the lifts.

As Jim made his way down the hall to Rose's room, he couldn't help but wonder about her attachment to Chekov. He could recall every single moment, when someone teased the Russian that Rose quickly jumped to his defense and threatened to beat the daylights out of any fool who crossed her. Jim knew it wasn't a romantic attachment that she held for the kid, but more like a motherly one. She always made sure he ate three times a day, slept the full eight hours and that he had clean clothes in his closet.

"_I just worry about him, Jim. His mum is all the way in Russia and everyone here is so much older than him. I can't let everyone be so mean to him and abuse him because he's smarter than half the people on this bloody ship," _

Shaking his head, Jim managed to get the door open while balancing the tray and stepped into the room.

"Keptin!"

Jim smiled at the sight of the two, as Pavel held a PADD up for Rose to read from.

"I can't read this bloody thing- Oh, hello Jim," she said, glancing away from the PADD to glance at him, before turning her attention back to the screen. "Hold it this way- ah yes! So this starbase has a pub where I can get some fish and chips. I hope you like fish and chips boys, because I plan on going there at least twice.." she said, before tapping the screen.

Jim set the tray onto the table next to her bed, pulling the lid off the bowl that sat in the middle of it.

"That's if you can keep this down, Rose. You had major surgery and Bones will hook you up to an IV of this if he has to," he said, grimacing at the broth.

"I should go, Miss Rose," Pavel said, as he gathered his things.

"Are you sure?" she asked, watching sadly as he packed up.

Pavel turned and smiled, "I vill come back tomorrow. I can bring you a book, no?" he aksed.

Rose nodded, "Alright. Go get some dinner and make sure you get enough sleep. If I hear that the Captain is making you work long hours again, he'll be in big trouble!" she said, glancing at Jim.

Pavel blushed and said his goodbyes as he ducked out of the room. Jim helped her up into a sitting position and set the bed tray up over her lap. Rose watched as he set the bowl of soup down and frowned.

"I figured you'd sneak me something good. How can I gain any strength if I eat liquids?" she asked, as he laughed.

"It's just what the doctor ordered. Besides, I'm not cleaning your puke up," he said, holding the spoon out.

Rose glared, "Why not? I do it for you all the time," she said, as he waved the spoon at her.

She took it from him and scooped some broth up, "Because my goal is to make sure you don't throw this up," he said, as she slowly slurped the hot liquid down.

"This is disgusting," she said, making a face.

"It's also got vitamins in it that way I can get out of here faster," Leonard said, as he stepped into the room. "Jim.. what a pleasant surprise. I see we've managed to kick the kid out," he said, noticing the empty seat next to Rose's bed.

"Why must you be so mean to him? He saved your ass the last time you were up here," Rose snapped, as she ate some more.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "That kid has the biggest crush on you. It's like watching a puppy dog beggin for a treat," he said.

Jim snorted while Rose shook her head, "He does not!" she snapped.

"Oh really, and do tell me how you know this.." Leonard shot, as he stood at the foot of her bed.

"Because he said I reminded him of his older sister- Alisa. So I would pipe down if I were you," she said, before setting the spoon down next to the bowl.

"Done?" Jim asked and she nodded.

Jim took the bowl and spoon and placed it on the table, before removing the bed tray. Leonard stepped around the bed and looked down at her, as she glared up at him.

"What?" she snapped.

"I need to check your incisions. You know, to make sure you ain't getting' an infection or bleeding out," he said.

Rose sighed, "I bet you'd like that,"

"Please. The sooner you're out of here, the sooner I can enjoy that nice bottle of whiskey in my office," Leonard shot back.

Jim helped her back into a prone position, pulling the blankets up to her hips. Leonard pulled her hospital gown up and removed the first set of bloody gauze pads, which caused Jim to gasp. At each removal of gauze, JIm felt the anger surging through his body, as the red and raw incisions created a design on her pale skin. The harsh black stiches stood out and he suddenly felt regret that he couldn't protect her, as he wished.

"These look fine. They're gonna be raw and swollen for a while, which will keep you from havin' a decent bath or shower. I'll get Christine to report to your quarters so she can help you bathe. You're gonna have to keep an eye on them though, just incase an infection kicks in," he said, as he lightly checked her ribs.

Rose hissed, "The ribs will take a while to heal all the way, too. You'll feel some discomfort when you sit up or lay down. Try not to move to much," Leonard said, as he started applying new gauze pads.

"How can I do that when I have work?" Rose asked, as he applied the first roll of gauze on her.

Leonard and Jim glanced at each other, "You're off on sick leave, Rose. This is major surgery and I need you resting as much as possible. You'll only be allowed on your feet to use the bathroom and to bathe," Jim said, as he looked at her.

She nodded and sighed, "Okay.." she mumbled, which shocked both men.

"Okay?" Jim asked.

Rose nodded, "Yeah. Why?"

Jim looked at Leonard before looking back at her, "I was expecting a fight. Some name calling and threats.." he said, shrugging.

Rose snorted, "I'm too tired to argue right now," she said, turning to look at Leonard. "When you're done, can you give me something so I can sleep?" she asked, yawning.

Leonard laughed and nodded, "Sure thing. But I wont give you a high dosage this time, that way you'll be alert tomorrow morning when I check on you again," he said, as he set the last strip of gauze on her.

As Leonard went to get a hypo, Jim sat down on the side of her bed and watched as she laid there with her eyes closed.

"I heard you singing to me.." she whispered, as he brushed the limp strands of hair away from her forehead.

"I hope I wasn't too bad.." he said, making her smile.

"No, you're getting better," she said.

Jim chuckled, "Good, I'm relieved,"

Rose took his free hand into hers and squeezed it, "Jim?"

"Yeah Rose?" he asked, as she hummed lightly.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

"Alright. Here we go! This should keep you under until 0700 tomorrow," Leonard said, as he came back into the room with a hypo.

Jim watched, stunned, as Leonard gave her the hypo and continued to stare at her, as her hand went limp in his and her breathing relaxed. Once Leonard left the room, Jim managed to breathe clearly, unaware that he'd been holding it in.

"_I love you, too" _

Jim managed a small smile, before leaning over to kiss her forehead. He was instantly glad that she'd been able to hear him, as he held her close, begging her to make it through everything.

"_I love you so much, Rose. You have no idea how much I love you," _

She'd heard every damn thing.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Rose was cleared from sickbay and was ordered to stay in her quarters until further notice. Jim carried her to his own quarters instead, insisting that he would be the one to care for her on his breaks.

"I give you one try at changing my bandages, before you're calling Christine down here to do it," she said, as he settled her down onto his bed.

Jim smirked, "I'll have you know, that I am an expert on bandages and all that doctor stuff," he said, as the blankets were placed over her legs.

Rose sighed, "I'm sure you are, since it was Leonard and I teaching you how to wrap up your bloody trap," she muttered.

"Do you want to eat something or sleep?" he asked, as she hissed while shifting on the bed.

She looked up at him through tired eyes, "Sleep.." she mumbled.

Jim chuckled and helped her to lie down, making sure she had enough pillows and that she was in a comfortable position.

"This is fine.. I just want to sleep on this nice soft mattress and never get up again," she mumbled, as her eyes drifted shut.

Jim pulled the blankets up to her chin and leaned down to kiss her, "I'll leave your communicator on the pillow next to you. I need to check on a few things before we dock and then I'll come down to join you," he said.

Rose nodded without a response and Jim stood and quickly made his way out the door. Once he reached the bridge, he set onto his tasks, making contact with the Star base Lotus command center to confirm their scheduled arrival. A few dispatches went out to Starfleet to confirm that the _Enterprise _would dock at Starbase Lotus at 2100 hours that day. After consulting with Nyota on any transmissions being broadcasted through space, he left Spock in charge, before disappearing back down to his quarters.

Stripping out of his uniform, Jim pulled a pair of sweatpants on and climbed into bed next to Rose. In the two hours he'd been gone, she managed to pull all the blankets over her body, leaving a small portion for him to climb under. Carefully, Jim pulled the blankets held captive by her arms out, and snuggled under them. The room was dreadfully cold, which Rose needed after having a strange reaction to one of the painkillers, which left her with hot-flashes. Jim was tempted to climb out of bed to get a sweatshirt, but didn't want to lose his blankets again. After watching her sleep for a few minutes, Jim managed to fall asleep almost as quickly as she did hours beforehand.

Several hours later the communicator under Jim's pillow went off, startling him out of a deep slumber. Groggily, he reached under the pillow and patted around before grasping the device.

"Whata want?" he mumbled, once he answered.

"Sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep" Leonard snapped.

Jim sighed, "What do you need now, Bones? I'm exhausted and I need to sleep," he whined.

"Dammit Jim, I was just calling to check on my patient. I would come down to see her, but since she's living with you and you need your "sleep" I can't do that,"

"She's sleeping, Bones. You can come down to check on her later," he said, ready to end the call.

"If she wakes up before hand, make sure she eats the soup only! And make sure it's more than three scoops," he warned.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Goodnight," he mumbled, before disconnecting the line.

He turned the volume down before settling the device onto the night table, before laying his head back down on the fluffy pillow and slipping back into a deep sleep. When he woke up later on, Rose was still asleep, lying partially on her side. Quietly, Jim pulled himself out of bed and took a hot shower, which he needed desperately.

When he stepped into the bedroom, Rose was finally waking up from her nap.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he grinned, placing the towel around his neck.

Rose blushed and managed to pull herself up into a sitting position, wincing at the strain against her incisions.

"How long have I been out for?" she asked, as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Well.. we got here around eight this morning and it's almost nine, so thirteen hours," he said, calculating the amount of time in his head.

Rose nodded, "Are we anywhere near Starbase Lotus?" she asked.

Jim nodded, "We should be docking soon! Do you want me to call Christine and have her come down to help you bathe?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "Please? I must look awful and my hair feels like shit," she muttered, pushing the greasy and knotty strands away from her face.

Jim smirked, "You look beautiful. But I will call Christine and then I will call the kitchens and see if we can find you something with a little protein in it. There's no way in hell that clear broth is giving you any strength," he said, moving to get the communicator.

Rose laughed, "Could you also ask them to bring some tea up? Earl gray with one sugar and a bit of lemon?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded, "Of course. In fact, I could use a cup of tea myself," he said, before disappearing into the other room.

Twenty minutes later, Christine came swooping in, carrying a bag of clothes and flowery scented soaps and shampoos. She and Jim moved Rose from the bed to the bathroom, before he excused himself to wait for her food. Once she was scrubbed clean and her hair was washed, Rose pulled on a fresh uniform- which consisted of pants and a tunic- instead of a standard dress. Christine dried her hair and set her thick mane into a braid down her back.

"Don't worry, Rose. You'll be back to showers and drying your own hair before you know it," as Rose stared at her reflection with sadness.

"I just feel helpless. I'm not used to all this attention and everyone wanting to help me," she admitted, as Christine helped her through the bedroom.

Christine smiled kindly at her, "We take care of our own here, Rose. Besides, Jim would have our heads if we didn't offer to help. That boy is crazy about you," she said, as they walked.

Rose blushed, "I know. Trust me.. I know,"

Jim looked up from the couch and smiled, "Feel better?" he asked, as Christine settled her down on the recliner.

Rose nodded and smiled, "Much," she responded.

Christine excused herself and left the quarters, with a promise to meet up with them on the base. Jim stood up and removed the cover to the tray on the table, releasing the aroma of chicken soup and tea.

"Don't tell Bones, but I also got you those tea biscuits you like. Just eat 'em real slow," he said, before setting the tray onto her lap.

Rose smiled at him before looking down at the much more appealing meal before her, picking up the spoon. Slowly but surely, she managed to eat all of the soup and downed her entire cup of tea. She nibbled on one tea biscuit, before placing it back onto the dish.

"Don't want to over do it," she said, as Jim moved the tray from her lap and back onto the table.

"We can leave the plate in the kitchen, and when you're hungry they'll be there," he said, as she settled back into the seat.

"Sounds lovely.." she mumbled, as she relaxed her shoulders against the plush back of the chair.

Jim checked his watch, "When we dock, do you want me to head out and get you some things? I know you're running low on the essentials and I need to pick up a few things," he said.

Rose opened her eyes, "How did you know I needed stuff?" she asked, frowning.

Jim blushed, "I brought a bag of clothes up for you while Bones was checking you over, before letting you go," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Can I go with you? I could use a walk in the man-made outdoor court. It'll be nice to see sunlight- even if it's artificial," she said, shrugging.

"I'll call Bones and see what he says,"

Rose shook her head, "Don't call him! He'll say no and I'll be stuck in here for the entire time!" she exclaimed.

Jim chuckled, "Fine, I wont call him. But I will bring you back onboard if you start to feel tired," he warned.

Rolling her eyes, Rose lifted her arms up and Jim carefully pulled her up to her feet.

"Lets take a walk. I need to stretch my legs, " she said, wrapping her arm around his.


	16. Chapter 16

Once docked at Starbase Lotus, the first round of crewmembers departed the ship, ready to unwind and enjoy a few hours of freedom. Jim managed to smuggle Rose off the ship, and into the crowded concourse, designed to look like a city street back on Earth.

"So, what's first on your list?" Jim asked, his arm wrapped lightly around her shoulders.

"Well, I do need shampoo. And other necessities that I'm running low on," she said, as they slowly walked.

Jim nodded, "I think there's a market down this way. I had Sulu pull up a map of the entire base," he said, digging into his pocket.

Rose smiled, "Please don't tell me you actually have a map on you," she said, as Jim pulled out a portable tablet.

He grinned, "I'm trying to impress a lovely lady," he replied, before turning the tablet on.

After a few seconds, a map popped up onto the screen showing their exact location. Jim stared at it for a few moments, before looking up and pointing forward.

"It should be a few spots down on the left," he said, as they started walking again. "Let's take our time, though. I don't want Bones yelling about how all your stitches ripped out from excessive walking,"

A half an hour later, Rose and Jim made their way out of the market, fully stocked up with at least six months worth of soaps, shampoos, deodorants and other personal hygiene supplies. Jim had the purchases set for delivery to the _Enterprise's _transporter, and left hand-in-hand with Rose.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, as they continued their afternoon on base.

She shrugged, "A little bit. I could go for some solid food, though," she said, as they stopped to look at a window display of shoes.

"How about.. fish and chips? You were talking about going to the pub here at least twice," he said, as they moved away from the window.

Rose looked up at him and smiled, "You remembered?" she asked, surprised.

Jim scoffed, "Of course I remembered! Besides, all those years of getting you to eat American food, I think it's only fair that I try something from your homeland,"

Rose snorted, "Jim, majority of the food we have in London is similar to what we have in California," she pointed out.

"Just…humor me, alright? Now, I think a little fish and chips wouldn't hurt. I wont even tell Bones that you had it!"

"Fine, fine. Where on your map does it say the pub's located at?" she asked.

It was a twenty-minute walk from one side of the base to the other, where the Kensington Galaxy Pub was located between a bookshop and medical supply shop. Jim asked for a booth near the back, and a young Betazoid led them and deposited two menus and a list of beers.

"No beer for you," Jim said, as he plucked the drink list from her hands.

Rose pouted, "But.." she started, stopping when Jim gave her a stern look.

"You had major surgery and you're on a cocktail of medication, Rose. Do you really want to drink alcohol and god forbid have an awful reaction when you take your muscle relaxer later?" he asked.

She sighed, "Fine- But order a Shandy. It's a wonderful drink, that I would kill for right about now," she said, before picking up the menu.

When a waitress came by to take their drink orders, Jim asked for a Shandy, while Rose as for a cup of tea. Rose sat back against the plush seat and sighed, closing her eyes.

"Smells like home," she said, her eyes closed.

Jim watched as she smiled, breathing in the air around them. Despite everything she'd been through, she was beautiful. Looking past the thin frame and exceptionally pale complexion, she was still his Rose. Just a little tattered and worn out.

"Do you miss London?" he asked, as she opened her eyes again.

"Sometimes. I miss going into Central London and riding the tube or the bus with my friends. The shops and the pubs- the nightlife and the festivals. I even miss the royals- even though we pay a bloody load in taxes for their ceremonies and weddings," she said, a smile gracing her face.

Jim nodded, "Sometimes I wish I could feel the same way about Iowa,"

Rose looked at him, watching as he twirled the napkin-clad utensils around in a circle. Then she leaned forward, resting her elbows onto the table top.

"Say we'll go to London together," she said.

Jim looked up at her and frowned, "What?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "When we go back home, you and me. We can board a shuttle and fly to London! Why talk about it when we can do it? You would love it! I can finally get someone to appreciate my world and to see that we're not all football loving-pub hopping red coats,"

Jim snorted, "That's what they call you guys?" he asked.

The waitress came by and deposited their drinks and took their food orders, before whisking away to the back.

"Of course they do. I can't tell you how many people asked about football and how many pubs I went to, when I first arrived in the States," she said, grabbing a sugar packet from the small bowl.

Jim laughed, "I never thought of the English like that," he said, shrugging. "Well, maybe the men. But the women? Please, all I could think about was the sexy accents and what dirty talk would sound like," he winked.

Rose scoffed in disgust, "Oh honestly, Jim," she muttered, before taking a sip of her tea.

He chuckled before taking a sip of the Shandy, nodding with approval as he sipped.

"This is so good. What's in it?" he asked, before taking another sip.

"It's beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, and probably ginger ale or cider," she said, smiling with amusement as he happily drank from his glass.

"That sounds like there's less alcohol in this glass," he said, frowning.

Rose smirked, "half-and-half, darling. If I can't drink a straight glass of alcohol, neither can you. Besides, I need you sober so we can shop a bit more," she said.

Jim groaned, "This is the first time I've had a decent drink since leaving Earth.. I was hoping to get some kind of buzz," he mumbled.

"Oh hush- you can probably smuggle a case of beer onto the ship before we leave," she huffed, rolling her eyes at him.

Once their food arrived, the two ate at a slow pace, chatting and laughing as the hour went on. Rose managed to eat a decent amount of her food, before pushing the basket away.

"Full?" Jim asked, as she sat back, rubbing her stomach.

Rose nodded, "Yeah. I think Leonard did some gastric bypass or something, though. This is the first time in my entire life that I didn't finish a basket of fish and chips," she said, looking sadly at the remains of her food.

"Have them wrap it up. We can put it in the fridge and you can eat it later," he said, shrugging.

"I know. It makes me sad though," she pouted.

Jim snorted, "You're not going to stay thin forever, Rose. Once you start having babies and hit thirty, your entire body will go out of sync," he said, shoving a few chips into his mouth.

Rose glared at him, "So will you. I can't wait for the years of excessive drinking and unhealthy eating habits to catch up with you. The day your six-pack turns into a pork belly, will be the best day of my life,"

"I'll have you know, that I plan on staying like this forever," he said, running his hands down his body.

Rose was about to respond, when the waitress came back to check on them.

"Is everything fine over here?" she asked, looking between the two.

Rose nodded, "Yes. Could we get a few carry-out trays?" she asked.

"And the check as well," said Jim.

The waitress nodded and went to retrieve the take-out boxes and the check, "Well Rose, this was a lovely meal. I hope London can follow up with even more delicious treats," he said, as the girl came back with their things.

Rose smiled, "Just you wait, Jim. Once you've had the taste of London cuisine, you'll never want to eat anything from another country or world again,"

Once their food was put into the boxes and paid for, Jim and Rose continued their exploration of the Starbase, stopping to pick up a few more things. When Rose started to feel tired, Jim suggested that they head back to the ship.

"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked, as the _Enterprise _came into view.

Rose shook her head, "No, no. I don't want people to start talking about the Ensign who can't walk on her own two feet," she mumbled, as they slowly made their way towards the dock.

Jim snorted, "I could care less what they say. If you can't walk anymore, I will carry you. Don't push yourself to the point where you fall and hurt yourself," he said.

Sighing, Rose stopped in her steps and nodded. "Fine. Carry me. I don't even think I can manage the stairs," she mumbled, as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh baby. Don't cry! It's going to be fine," he said, placing his hands on either side of her face.

"I hate feeling so weak. I was never this weak until all this shit happened," she sobbed.

Jim pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, rubbing small circles against her back.

"Come on. Let's get you onboard and into bed. I think you need a nap," he said, before scooping her up, bridal style, into his arms. Once they stepped onto the ship, Leonard bombarded them, angry and relieved at the same time.

"Dammit Jim! I've been worried sick! What made you think you could take her out? She had major surgery less than two days ago!" he shouted, as they took the lifts up to his floor.

"Bones, she needed the fresh air. Besides, a good walk probably helped her," he said, as Rose clung to him.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "Yeah? And look at her now! She can't even walk and she's sobbin' her eyes out!"

Rose looked at him, "Don't be mad at him! I needed to get some things and I wanted to see something other than the bloody four walls of a bedroom!" she cried.

"Yeah well.. I'm your damn doctor. If I say take it easy, you take it easy. You don't go off and walk around an entire starbase, after being cut open and your organs being shifted around," he snapped.

Rose paled at the mental image that flashed in her head, and quickly buried her face into Jim's neck. Jim glared at his friend and shook his head.

"Nice. If she throws up on me, I'll kick your ass so hard- you'll be in the nearest galaxy by tomorrow morning!" he warned, as they stepped off the lift.

"Not if I kick your ass first, kid!" Leonard shot back, as they made their way down the hall.

Once they were in Jim's quarters, Jim carried her into the bedroom and closed the door.

"See Rose. Here we are!" he smiled, setting her down on the bed. "Now, lets get you out of these clothes and into something comfy and we'll give you a shot for the pain," he said, rifling through the clothes he grabbed from her room.

Once he found a pair of sweatpants and an ratty Academy shirt, Jim made his way over to her and helped her out of the jeans and sweater. Once she was dressed, Jim went to retrieve the hypo from the bathroom.

"Do you want me to do it? " he asked, returning with the shot in his hand.

Rose nodded, "Len's mad. I don't want him to take it out on my neck," she whimpered.

Jim nodded, "I know. Okay, I just need you to show me how to do this. I've never given a hypo to anyone before," he said, looking down at the device in his hand.

Rose quickly showed him how to hold the hypo and where to place it on her neck, and sighed in relief when the drugs were injected into her.

"Now you just throw it out in the hazard bin under the sink," she said.

Jim set the empty hypo on the nightstand and helped her under the blankets, tucking her in.

"Let me get rid of the old man and I'll join you. I think I could use a nap too," he said, as she closed her eyes.

"Mmmhmm. Just put the food in the f-" she said, before passing out.

Jim chuckled, "Can't forget the food," he said, grabbing the hypo off the table.

Once he tossed it into the hazard bin, Jim made his way out into the living room.

"Is she asleep?" Leonard asked, as Jim picked up the takeout bag.

"Yes, Bones. She's in bed and out like a light,"

Leonard followed him into the kitchen and watched as he set the two take-out boxes into the fridge.

"That don't look like soup," he said, as the fridge door closed.

"That's because it's not," said Jim.

Leonard's eyes went wide, "You gave her something that wasn't soup? Are you kidding me? Do you want her back in sick-bay?" he snapped.

"Bones, I think you should go out for a bit. Get some artificial fresh air and calm down. There's a nice pub on the west side of the base next to a medical supply shop," he said, ushering the doctor out towards the door. "Take Christine with you and go have fun," he said, before lightly pushing him out into the hall.

"Dammit Jim! Don't come crying to me when she pu-"

Jim chuckled at the door, before heading into the bedroom. Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed into the bed and settled down against the cool mattress. A few hours of undisturbed sleep would do him good.


	17. Chapter 17

As the week went on, the repairs continued on the _Enterprise_, the progress moving quicker than expected. It took an excessive amount of persuasion to get Scotty off the ship to enjoy at least part of the surprise shore leave, though he grumbled the entire time. Rose was healing nicely from her surgery, please Leonard greatly, though he was still mad at both her and Jim. He almost said no when she wanted to take Chekov and Sulu to the infamous pub on base. But with the pouting and puppy dog eyes from both her and the two men, he permitted clearance for her.

"I don't know how you do it, kid. She must get her way for everythin'" Leonard said one night, over dinner.

"Not everything.. I still make sure she goes down for a nap everyday," the Captain smirked.

Two days before their expected departure, Rose, Nyota and Christine, all went onto base for a "girl's day", leaving Jim, Spock and McCoy on their own. Several hours and many shopping bags later, Jim found Rose in his quarters, unpacking her new loot.

"What is that on my wall?" he asked, as she and Nyota stood in front of a painting.

"It's art," she said, pushing the canvas a little to the left.

Jim frowned, "Looks more like a finger-painting, done by a blind four year old," he said.

Rose sighed and glanced at Nyota, before reaching for the next painting she purchased.

"The difference between Jim's taste in interior design and mine, is that I have some. I find these fascinating," she said, holding up the smaller canvas board in her hands.

Jim grumbled, "My room was fine before you hung those up," he said, watching as she set the artwork down.

"Do you want them all out?" Nyota asked, moving to the small crate near the sofa.

Jim gasped, "How many did you buy?" he demanded, as Rose took another painting from Nyota.

"Yes.. we need a little color in this room. If I'm staying in here, I like it to be homely.. not a typical bachelor pad," she said, glaring over at Jim.

"I think these are lovely," Nyota said, holding up a painting of abstract shapes, painted in various colors. "They're also very ancient, Jim. It's amazing how they reproduced them after all these years, " she murmured, admiring the piece in her hands.

Jim rolled his eyes and watched as they disappeared into his bedroom, setting the ugly art pieces inside.

"Jim! I've been lookin' all ov- what the hell is that?"

Jim looked over at Leonard, who stared at the painting that was hanging on the wall with a frown.

"It's what Rose and Nyota call "art". I think it looks like shit, to be honest," he said.

"I heard that, James!" Rose shouted from the bedroom.

Leonard shook his head, "Better you than me. If my girl started putting shit like this up in my room, it would be floating out into space before the dust settled around it," he said, shaking his head.

"That's why you don't have a girl, Leonard!"

Jim snorted and Leonard scowled, "I should've snipped her eardrums," he mumbled, before disappearing into the kitchen, in search for a stiff drink.

Later that night, after dinner and a film in the game room, Rose and Jim snuggled into bed with books. Jim sighed as he turned the pages, the words blurring before his eyes. Glancing over at Rose, he watched as she quietly read, engrossed in whatever story she was reading. Closing the book, Jim leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Whatcha reading?" he asked, as she turned the page.

"A book.." she answered.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Gee you don't say!"

"It's a book on Xenobiology of Vulcans," she said, looking down at him.

Jim sat up, "Vulcans? Since when did you find them interesting? Last time I checked, you and Spock couldn't be in the same room without foaming at the mouth," he laughed.

Rose sighed, "He's being nice to me. I think it's all Ny's doing, but he's making the attempt to treat me like an adult. And I'm trying to control myself from mimicking his speech patterns," she said, before turning back to the book.

"Okay, how about we stop reading for tonight?" he said, snatching the book from her hands.

"Hey! I was reading that!" she exclaimed, as Jim set the bookmark into place, before setting her book, along with his, down on his nightstand.

"I know, but I want to talk to you now," he said, turning back to her.

Pulling her lightly into his arms, Rose relaxed against him, her fingers intertwining with his.

"You're not made about the artwork?" she asked.

"It'll take a while to get used to it.. I still think they're ugly," he said, glancing up at the colorful addition to his room.

Rose sighed, "Oh dear. How will we ever decide on paint for our home? You seem more like the white walls only kind of guy," she mumbled.

Jim smirked, "Our house? Since when did you plan on buying a house with me?" he asked.

She blushed, "Well.. if you're serious about this. The whole relationship thing, that is. You and me- no one else. I was thinking about it the other night," she said, as she pulled her self up.

"Hmmm. But wouldn't it be silly to buy a house, if we're going to be in space all the time?" he asked.

"We wont be up here ALL the time, Jim. We do spend time on Earth, " she said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed, "I know. I was just doing my best to annoy you," he said, earning a glare from her.

He then cleared his throat, "You know, when we stopped talking.. I started thinking," he said, making her gasp.

"You? Think?" she asked, feigning surprise.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Ha, ha. Real cute," he said, as she giggled.

"Sorry. Do go on," she said, nodding her head in approval.

"Anyways, I was thinking how stupid I was to judge you. You were right about me not having the right to judge you for who you've slept with. It still hurts that it was someone who I consider a father-figure.. but I don't have the right to be an asshole and judge,"

Rose nodded, "You are right about that.." she said.

"Anyway, I think from this point out we should be honest with each other. No more secrets- unless they are good ones. Like birthday presents or something.." he said, grinning.

Rose snorted and he continued, "I'm willing to tell you anything and everything you want to know about me. We've known each other for almost six years now, Rose. I'm sure there's still things you don't know about me. Vice versa," he said.

She nodded, "Yes.. that is true," she said, looking away from him.

Jim sat up and turned to face her, "So lets make a promise. From this day forward, we hold nothing back. No secrets, no lies, nothing," he said.

Rose looked at him with amazement, "I want this to work, Rose. I think.. No, I know that we can make it work. Maybe we were supposed to meet that night at the shipyard. Maybe I was supposed to find you and save you that night. Shit, maybe all of this was supposed to happen for us to get to this point," he said, shaking his head.

She watched as he looked down at his lap, "I think fate has a weird way of working, Jim," she said.

He chuckled, "I think so, too," he said, looking up at her. "So what do you say?" he asked.

Rose looked at him silently, watching as his blue eyes bore into hers. Slowly, she leaned over his pillows and grabbed the PADD off his nightstand, before sitting back against her pillows.

"Rose?"

Silently, she turned the PADD on and fiddled around, searching for what she needed. After a few minutes, she accessed the files that she wanted, and sighed.

"Read this. It's everything you need and should know about me. It's all my secrets, hidden from public eyes because I was too ashamed to let anyone know," she said, holding the PADD out.

Jim looked at her cautiously, before taking the PADD from her. She then pushed the blankets off and pulled herself out of bed.

"I'll be in the sitting room. Come out when you're done," she said, before stepping out.

Jim watched as the door closed behind her, a feeling of dread filling his stomach. With a shaky sigh, he sat against the pillows and began reading.

_Rose Elizabeth Harrington Conrad: Private Medical/ Report of family history._


	18. Chapter 18

Jim set the PADD down on his lap, trying to process what he'd read for the last hour. An entire file, containing everything about Rose Conrad, explained everything she kept hidden from him. The appearance of a young woman, who didn't tolerate any bullshit from anyone. A woman who never knew her father and lost her mother at a young age. The abuse she experienced from her grandmother, who despised her very existence. The partying and wild party life, which nearly kept her from joining Starfleet. Every aspect of her life was listed in that file. From allergies to the miscarriage she had, which was kept under lock and key in the medical system.

The miscarriage hit him hard, just like the affair with Pike. A baby. Rose would've been a mother to a little boy or girl, had it survived. Jim felt awful, picturing his Rose on the bathroom floor, covered in blood and crying, as her child slipped from this world. Babies were supposed to be a blessing, even though he was his mother's curse. And the fact that she suffered for months afterwards, skipping classes and nearly failing out of the Academy because of it. The incident was kept under tight security, under the false name of Holly Golightly- from one of her favorite films. When he checked to see who signed off on such confidentiality, he wasn't surprised that it was one Captain Christopher Pike.

Getting up, Jim made his way to the bedroom door, ready to speak to Rose. When he entered the sitting room, he found her sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in her hands. Hearing his arrival, she looked up at him in silence, watching as he made his way over to her. She set the cup down on the table, and folded her hands into her lap.

Jim sat down next to her, his arm throwing across the back of the sofa, his body facing hers.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.." he whispered, shaking his head.

Rose cleared her throat, "Did you read all of it?" she asked, looking down at her lap.

Jim nodded, "Every sentence. Every word," he confirmed.

"Now you know why I am the way I am. Why I went barking mad at you that night-" she said, shaking her head.

Jim took her hand into his, "I wish we never had that fight. I wish you came to me and told me all of this, " he said.

"It's not something you just discuss over drinks, Jim. This is my life. My sad, pathetic life. I have no bloody clue who my father is or was and my mother got herself killed, while searching for him. My grandmother despises my very existence, since I'm the one that got her daughter killed. I've had a round of shitty boyfriends and lovers, did stupid things that should've landed me in Scotland Yard. I had a secret relationship with a high-ranking officer, who's old enough to be my father. And I almost had his child.." she ranted, looking at him. "That's not something one can talk about over tea and biscuits,"

"But I could've been there for you, Rose. Me, Leonard even Nyota!" he exclaimed.

Rose smiled sadly, "We didn't want anyone to know.." she said, shrugging.

"You mean, Pike didn't want anyone to know," he hissed.

Rose shook her head, "Jim, it was a decision we both made. I didn't even plan on telling anyone that I was pregnant, until I started showing. I didn't care what anyone thought or said about it. It was my life and my choice- I was ready to give up all of it and stay home with a baby," she said, smiling sadly. "He asked me to marry him.. so many times. I always said no, because I was happy with the way things were," she said.

Jim watched as she struggled to continue, "When you guys came back after the Vulcan and Nero incident.. I finally said yes. I thought I wanted to be with him forever, because I nearly lost him. All I could think about was the fear of being alone, trapped in a life of misery," she said, as tears filled her eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He said no. That I was young and had a full life ahead of me. And that Starfleet needed me, and that he never gave me the chance to grow and experience what it had to offer," she said, meeting his eyes. "So basically it was the nicest way a man has ever broken up with me, but the hardest to get over,".

Hours later, Jim found himself on the couch in Leonard's office, nursing a glass of whiskey. After staying with Rose, holding her as she cried herself to sleep, he quietly left her tucked into bed and went to get advice from his dear friend.

"It's like… she's got this vice grip on her heart and it's keeping her from fully moving on," he said, as Leonard watched him from his desk.

"Jim, it takes time to heal from something like that. She lost her child and what she feels is guilt. That it was her fault the baby didn't survive," Leonard said, watching as Jim stared at his glass with sadness.

"But she did it alone, Bones. She didn't even come to me afterwards, and I wish she did. I would've been there for her," he said.

Leonard sighed, "Maybe she didn't need you,"

Jim looked up at him with a frown, "What?" he asked.

"She had Pike. For that time, she had someone. The father of her child, her lover. It's not that she didn't want you at all, Jim. It's just that she didn't need you for that part of her life, that event. Sometimes, a person who goes through something traumatic- like a miscarriage in this instance- can't deal with all the "I'm sorry" and "You can always try again," speeches. It makes them feel worse and pushes them deeper into depression,"

Jim sighed, "I just picture it in my head. I close my eyes and it's all I can see, Bones. I can see the blood and the fear in her eyes, as she clutches her stomach. It's like she's trying to dig her fingers in and hold the baby in place.." he said, shaking his head.

Leonard stood up from his desk and made his way over to the couch, sitting down next to him. Jim looked over at him, then back at the glass in his hands.

"So be there for her now," he said, setting his glass down on the table in front of him. "You two are together, right?" he asked, since the relationship status between the Captain and Ensign changed frequently.

Jim nodded, "Yeah, but we're taking it slow," he said, smiling a bit. "Real slow. I don't want to fuck this up, Bones. I can't fuck it up,"

Leonard nodded, "I know. And I hope you don't. She's a good woman, kid. There ain't too many of them left in this goddamn world," he muttered.

"I thought you didn't like her?" Jim asked, grinning.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "I've grown to tolerate her," he said, as Jim snorted. "Alright fine! I like her. She's like a little sister that I never had. But don't you go tellin' her that! The last thing I need is for her to come strolling in here, thinkin' we're gonna sit down and have girl talk," he muttered.

"Oh don't worry. You can tell her that yourself," Jim said, taking a sip from his glass.

They fell into a peaceful silence, with the occasional beep from the bio-beds right outside the door.

"Don't tell anyone..what I told you. And don't bring it up to Rose," Jim said.

Leonard nodded, "I won't. You have my word, Jim," he promised.

"Good, because I can't afford to lose her again. Or to have her beat me up," he laughed, shaking his head.

Leonard studied his friend, and noticed how much he'd changed since becoming Captain. With their first year of the five year mission completed, the young man had grown up. He was still reckless and annoying at times, jumping into situations without thinking. But his wild side had been non-existent, since Rose started spending every night in his room. She was the first woman that managed to do what every single other woman in the universe failed to accomplish. She managed to capture the most eligible bachelor in Starfleet, making him faithful to one woman and one woman only.

"You really love her, huh?' Leonard asked, smiling as he said the words.

Jim nodded and looked at him, "Yeah. I really do. And she loves me, too. Can you believe it? A woman finally capture the heart of James Tiberius Kirk, resident playboy of Starfleet," he laughed.

Leonard snorted, "I never thought I'd see the day," he said, shaking his head. "But it's good thing. I was gettin' worried that you'd end up all alone,"

"Me too. But I want this. I want to marry her and give her children, Bones. I want to have little Jim's and Rose's running all over this ship, causing havoc and staking their claim," he said, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Oh good lord. I hope you plan on warnin' us when it happens. I'll need to stock up on special hypos, since your allergic to every damn one in this place," he muttered, reaching out for the bottle of whiskey.

"I want to give her a family. That's something she didn't have growing up, and I sure as hell didn't have a great family life either. I think we both deserve that," he said, shrugging.

Leonard poured a decent amount of alcohol into his glass, and refilled Jim's as well. "Of course you do! You both deserve that! I would kill to have a happy family," he said, glancing at the picture of Joanna on the bookcase.

"You'll find someone, Bones. Maybe Jocelyn wasn't your soul-mate. Maybe she's out there, looking for you," he said.

Leonard snorted, "Jesus, already going soft on me? I see you've been readin' some of Rose's books,"

Jim shrugged, "Some aren't that bad. I like the one's with time-travel and one's that take place during war. And the movies she's been making me watch? It's amazing what people in the 21st century could do with technology," he said, shaking his head.

"I may throw up on you,' Leonard warned, as Jim turned into a total sap.

"I'm tellin ya, Bones. One day you'll do exactly what I'm doing. You'll go all soft for a girl that makes you happy. And I hope it happens soon, because I can't stand seeing your grumpy ass on my bridge,"


	19. Chapter 19

"I don't understand how Ironman beats Hulk! All the Hulk has to do is jump mid-air and knock Ironman out!" Rose cried.

Sulu laughed, "Ironman has guns and he can fly!" he said, as the redhead tossed her napkin onto the table.

She rolled her eyes, "That's bullshit! IT'S THE HULK!" she shouted, earning a few snickers.

Jim wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Relax!" he said, while laughing.

Rose glared at him, "Don't tell me you agree with this nonsense!" she snapped, pointing at Sulu.

Jim glanced at the helmsman and shrugged, "In a logical way of thinking… it does make sense for Ironman to beat the Hulk," he started; holding his hands up with Rose opened her mouth to speak. "But you're right! The Hulk is this huge green thing, and he could rip the limbs off Tony Stark," he said.

"Whipped.." someone muttered, while a few snorts went around the table.

Rose smirked at Sulu, "See! I told you," she said, before beaming at him.

Sulu rolled his eyes, "Whatever, you didn't even know a thing about comics until we started showing the entire collection of films last week," he said.

Nyota sighed, "That Captain America is so fine," she said with a smile.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Ew, he's so baby looking. It's all about Thor and that hammer," she said, smirking.

Scotty chuckled, "Looks like ye have a wee bit o' a competition, Captain,"

Jim rolled his eyes, "Please! He's a fictional character!" he exclaimed, as the others laughed at him.

After dinner, Rose and Jim headed back up to his quarters for the night. As Rose washed her face and fixed her hair for bed, Jim lounged across the bed, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Do you really feel threatened by a fictional character?" Rose asked, as she came out of the bathroom.

Jim looked at her, placing his hands under his head, smirking. "No way," he said, making her laugh.

Rose moved closer to the bed, "Scotty made a interesting comment at dinner tonight,"

"Oh he did?" he asked, watching as she stood at the foot of the bed.

She nodded, "Something about competition between you and Thor. Now, granted, Thor is a fictional character and I can only dream about him doing dirty things with me," she said, earning a chuckle from Jim. "But, I thought maybe tonight you could prove me wrong when I say that Thor is best sexual partner I've had so far," she said, grinning.

Jim snorted, "You couldn't handle me," he stated.

Rose rolled her eyes, "I think I can. Besides, Leonard said I was all clear for work and it's been two months since my surgery. So that means, I can deal with hard labor," she winked.

Jim smirked, "Well, what did you have in mind?" he teased.

She took a step back and slowly pulled the black robe off, letting it fall off her shoulders and onto the floor at her feet. Jim's eyes traveled up and down her body, taking in the few scars that Leonard couldn't mark out, despite the advancement in plastic surgery.

"So, what do you think?" Rose asked, her eyes filled with lust as he looked into them.

"I think you should get your ass into this bed so I can have my way with you," he stated, matter-of-factly, making her laugh.

Early the next morning, Jim woke to find Rose next to him, wrapped in the tangled bed sheets. Her legs were intertwined with his, her arms draped over his chest. She tensed for a brief second, her grip on Jim's chest tightening before relaxing. After a few minutes, Jim slowly pulled himself out from under her body and settled her down on the pillows. He then made his way into the bathroom, asking for lights, and stood in front of the mirror.

Running his hand across the stubble that covered his face, Jim decided it was time for a shave. Grabbing the can of shaving cream and the razor from the counter, he began to lather his face up. Just as he was about to set the razor to his face, the bathroom door opened and Rose stood in the doorway. Jim smiled at her from the mirror and she made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, resting her head against the side of his arm.

"Transforming out of my wild cave man phase," he smirked.

She giggled and moved around him, pulling herself up onto the counter. Reaching out, Rose took the razor from him with one hand, and pulled him closer with the other.

Jim looked at the razor in her hands, "I don't know if I feel comfortable with you holding that," he said, as he looked at her.

Rose snorted, "Oh please. I'm not going to kill you," she laughed, as she wrapped her leg around his hip. "I want to do this for you.." she said, as she let go of his arm to turn the faucet.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked, as she laid a small towel over her leg.

Rose made a face, "Jim, I shave my legs and I make sure I have a clean bikini line. I know what I'm doing," she said, rolling her eyes.

Jim smirked, "Oh, I know you do. I've seen your.. artwork," he said, as his fingers danced across the tops of her thighs.

"You better hold still, love. My hand could slip and then we'll have to call Leonard," she warned, as she set the razor to his cheek.

Jim quickly stopped and stood still, and kept his eyes on Rose as she slowly ran the razor across his face, running the blade under the water every few seconds. He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling tingles running up and down his spin. It was the first time in his life, which a woman offered to shave his face. It was something he'd always done, but now that Rose was doing it, it felt wonderful. And sexy. Jim made a mental note to ask her to do it quite often.

Rose set the razor down and picked up the towel, wiping the excess shaving cream off his face.

"All done," she said, reaching back to turn the water off.

Jim looked at himself in the mirror, "Not bad.." he said, running his hand down his now smooth face. "And not a single cut. You have a talent, Miss Rose,"

She grinned, "I do prefer you with some scruff, though," she said.

"Oh do you now?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She nodded, "Makes you look.. wild. Like you've been locked up in a cabin for weeks or something," she whispered, before letting out a shriek as Jim nibbled on her neck.

"I think we should shower and get some food. Then we can talk about a cabin to lock ourselves in," he growled, as she giggled.

After a quick romp in the shower, Jim and Rose headed down to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. Afterwards, Jim left for the bridge, sending her off to sickbay with a quick kiss and a promise to meet up on break. Rose practically skipped the entire way down, humming softly to herself as she waltzed past Christine's desk. The blonde noticed the pep in her step, and quickly followed her.

"Rose! Why do you look like a strand of Christmas lights?" she asked, as the redhead sorted through the PADD's that were set for the day's appointments.

Rose glanced at her before looking down at the day's work, "What are you talking about?" she asked, before grabbing the PADD containing Leonard's first patient.

Christine sighed, "You're practically glowing like a damn spot-light!" she exclaimed.

The woman snorted, "Oh god, are you serious?" she asked, as the blonde blushed.

"You better spill! All morning I've had to listen to this one having a bad case of the runs and dealing with the most disgusting engineer, while trying to save whatever skin he had left on his hands!"

Rose sighed and pulled Christine by the arm to the supply closet, typing her passkey in for access. Once the door was open, she yanked her inside and waited until the door closed behind them to spill.

"Jim and I had sex last night!"

Christine's eyes went wide, before smiling. "About damn time!" she exclaimed.

Rose frowned, "What?" she asked, watching as her friend sighed in relief.

"Oh come on! You two had the most severe case of sexual tension that I've ever seen. I was beginning to wonder when you two would finally give in and do it. I swear, there were sparks going off between you two," she said, shaking her head.

"Did you guys have a bet or something?" Rose asked, as Christine examined her nails.

"Oh god no!" she cried, watching as Rose sighed in relief. "Just Len and I. We put in a couple credits as to when you two would finally knock boots," she grinned.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Of all the people? Really? Our boss?" she asked, as the blonde blushed.

"I figured since the both of us are friends with you two.. oh for god's sake! Would you rather the entire bridge and Scotty had put bets in?" she asked.

Rose shook her head, "No. But you don't see me and Jim placing bets on when _you _and _Leonard _decide to do the nasty!"

Christine gasped, "I beg your pardon!" she cried, as Rose snickered.

"Oh come off it, Chris. I've seen you looking at his ass. And you practically bend over backwards to do whatever he asks," she said, as the blonde gaped at her. "Besides, I think it's quite sexy. The naughty nurse and the CMO, going at it in his office while everyone else is out here working," she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.

Christine let out a scoff, "God, you're turning into Jim," she muttered.

Rose shrugged, "What can I say? He's a charming man,"

"He must've been that good and skilled, if you're able to walk," Christine shot back, raising her eyebrows.

Rose laughed, "Is that jealousy?" she asked.

Christine rolled her eyes, "How was he anyways?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

Rose made her way to the door, "Well, he's a hell of a lot better than Thor," she said, before stepping out into the hall.

Christine stood in the supply closet with a frown etched on her face. "Who the hell's Thor?" she asked out loud.


	20. Chapter 20

**I am SO sorry for not updating! But I plan on updating either once a day or every other day, depending on how my work schedule plays out for the week. Anyways, I decided to do a time jump- to move the plot forward- and get to some juicy stuff. Any planets, diseases, ect, that don't sound familiar are because I myself made them up. Just wanted to clear that up. So, here we go! **

Two years went by quickly as the crew of the _Enterprise _continued their five-year journey into deep space. Their third year in space started off with a bang, as a wild virus on a Federation planet broke out, with no known cure. With hard work and long hours, Leonard, Rose and Christine managed to find a cure within a month by altering one of the many vaccines. It was after this event, that Rose was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant, despite her protest. But Jim wouldn't take no for an answer, submitting the request while she was sleeping one night.

Several weeks later, on the planet of _Nevacompos, _she had an official meeting with two Admirals that were on location, and was christened Lieutenant Rose Conrad. While Jim called by her rank, Rose was happy with the others calling her Rose or Doctor. When the next shore leave came around, Jim took the opportunity to whisk her off for the last two days of leave. Two whole days of sex and a exotic beach, left the young couple refreshed and the Lieutenant glowing as she practically floated down the corridors and through sickbay.

To say that they grew stronger in the two years was an understatement. The Captain and his Lieutenant were nearly attached to the hip, as they spent their breaks together everyday. Though they had different shifts, they somehow managed to find the time to be alone together. While Leonard found Jim's constant visits to sickbay for "checkups" annoying- with his ever so frequent comments about the matter- he knew exactly when Rose would take her lunch break and didn't expect her to return an hour later on time. He gave up trying to reason with Jim that they had patients, and Rose was needed in sickbay at certain times.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. Where have you been?" Nyota said, as Rose made her way through the corridor.

She smiled, pushing her hair away from her face. "Jim and I went on the other side of the planet," she said, as Nyota rolled her eyes. "We wanted some time to ourselves," she finished.

"Well, it would've been nice if you told someone!" Nyota exclaimed, as the younger woman laughed.

"I'm sorry. I'll make sure to tell you when my boyfriend and I go off to have a nice weekend of endless sex," she said, typing in the passcode to her quarters.

Nyota made a face and quickly excused herself, claiming that she had important matters to discuss with Spock. Rose quickly made her way into the room and pulled her boots off, tossing them to the side. Stripping off her uniform, she made her way into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of hot pink sweatpants and pulled them on. It was nearly dinnertime, and she was too tired to go down to the cafeteria. With Jim due to arrive back shortly for break, Rose decided to set dinner up for him.

After raiding the cabinets and fridge for food, Rose managed to put together a somewhat decent meal for them both. She was putting the finishing touches on the chicken stir-fry, when the door opened.

"Honey! I'm home!" Jim called out, as the sound of his boots hitting the wall could be heard.

Rose turned her head as Jim came into the small kitchenette, grinning at the sight before him. Dressed in only her hot pink sweatpants and a black bra, Rose looked more appetizing than dinner. Jim made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her bare waist, nuzzling her neck with his nose.

"I would skip dinner and devour you, but my stomach is disagreeing with that idea," he mumbled, as Rose turned the burner off.

She giggled, pushing her back against his chest, "Good, because I'm pretty tired from our weekend and I could use a good night's worth of sleep," she said.

Jim chuckled and kissed her neck, before stepping back as she moved around to set the table. Grabbing two beers out of the mini-fridge, Jim set them onto the table as she set the plates and forks down.

"So, how was your first day back?" she asked, serving the food out onto the plates.

He sighed, "Exhausting," he said, as Rose sat down across from him. "How was yours? I was pretty disturbed that Bones didn't call me, yelling about how you tried to break someone's arm or abuse the power of administrating hypos," he said, shoving a mouthful of stir-fry into his mouth.

Rose snorted, "Well, I don't have any reason to break arms or stab anyone at the moment," she said, shrugging.

After a relaxing dinner, with small talk about the next stop on their course to when Jim would be off duty, Rose cleared the table off and put together a cup of coffee and a small snack for Jim.

"Look at you getting all…motherly," Jim said, leaning against the counter as she took the chocolate chip muffin out of the replicator.

Rose smirked, "I need you to make your way home without passing out in the corridor like last time," she said, wrapping the warm muffin up in a napkin.

"That was one time! And Spock found me a few minutes after I passed out," he exclaimed.

She patted his cheek, "I know, but I'm going to be too tired to drag your ass back here," she said, leaning her hip against the counter.

Jim sighed and pulled her towards him, kissing her lightly on the lips. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rose stood on her toes as he kissed and nuzzled her face and neck.

"You better get going, Captain," she breathed, as his hands traveled down her bare back. "Can't start something that you won't be able to finish," she said, squirming as his hand came up to brush her collarbone.

Jim groaned, "You're evil," he muttered, making her laugh.

"I know, but you love me anyway," she said, kissing his cheek. She then pulled away and picked up the cup of coffee and muffin, holding them both out to him.

Jim sighed, taking them both into his hands, and made his way back to the front door. Rose took the cup and muffin as he pulled his boots back on, before handing them back, as he was ready to leave.

"I'll try to stay up before you come back, but I don't know if I'll make it," said Rose, as they stood before the door.

"You need your rest, Rose. I had you up all weekend and I can't have you falling asleep in sickbay," he said, as she set the computer to unlock the door.

She smirked, "Touche," she muttered, as the door opened. "I'll see you later," she said; as he leaned down to kiss her goodbye.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Mrs. Kirk," he grinned, his blue eyes lighting up like a firework.

Rose couldn't help but giggle, "Have fun, Mr. Kirk," she said, giving him a small wave, as he made his way down the hall.


	21. Chapter 21

Jim sat in his seat, watching as his crewmembers moved about their stations. Sulu and Chekov fiddling with keys and dials, as the ship moved through deep space. Nyota checking all frequencies for alerts and transmissions- keeping her ears open for any distress calls. In the last hour, the bridge received zero calls from designated areas of the _Enterprise, _and a short visit from Leonard during his dinner break.

Glancing down at his watch for the time, he was pleased that it would be another twenty minutes before Spock came down to relieve him. Letting out a sigh, Jim sat back against the chair and sighed. Twenty more minutes and he would be in bed with his wife.

_Wife._

Jim couldn't help but smile to himself, as the world tumbled around in his head. Rose was his wife, and had been for the last forty-two hours. Shortly after arriving to the small cottage Jim rented for their two-day stay, he asked for her hand in marriage. There was no ring, since Jim wanted a perfect one that was all Rose. The rings he looked at during previous shore leaves, left him unsatisfied and worried that he'd never find the "perfect" one for the woman he loved.

Instead of waiting to set a date, Rose brought up the idea of getting married during shore leave. She claimed that it would be "nice" just to get married with the two of them alone. Instead of the stress of planning an entire ceremony and reception, buying a dress and picking a color scheme, eloping sounded more appealing. So they went and did it. Jim wore a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, while Rose wore a simple green sundress, as they said their "I do's" in front of Admiral Dawson- who owed Jim a massive favor for saving his ass during an investigation back during his Academy days.

Afterwards, the newlyweds decided to keep their elopement to themselves, and planned on telling them during the weekend of Jim's birthday- which was several weeks away. They knew the result of their elopement would be anger, especially from Nyota and Christine since it was a wedding they couldn't plan. And Jim was worried that Leonard would be upset about the secret wedding, and he planned on making it up to the doctor.

"Captain.."

Jim was startled out of his thoughts, quickly looking up to find Spock standing next to the Captain's seat.

"Mister Spock.."

"I am here to relieve you of your duties for the evening. You're shift ended precisely twenty seconds ago," he said, watching as Jim nodded dumbly.

"Right.. my shift," said Jim, as he got to his feet. "Thank you for reminding me, " he said, nodding to the Vulcan.

He then looked around the bridge and noticed that Nyota stepped away from the controls, as well as Sulu and Chekov. The Gamma shift was arriving in small groups from the turbo lifts, taking their seats in their respected areas.

"If anything should happen while I'm away, please call my quarters," Jim said, as he started towards the turbo life.

"Yes Captain. Enjoy your evening," said Spock, as he sat down in the vacant chair.

The ride from the bridge to the residential floor, took less than ten seconds, much to Jim's relief. Making his way down the hall quietly, he keyed in the passcode to his living quarters that he shared with Rose. Stepping quietly inside, he made sure the door was locked before making his way through the sitting room and into the bedroom. All the lights but the one on the nightstand were off, filtering a dim light across the bed. Jim took notice in how cold the room was and the lack of blankets that covered the bed.

He quickly made his way into the bathroom and cleaned up, stripping out of his uniform and brushing his teeth. After relieving himself, he flushed the toilet and hoped that the noise didn't wake Rose up. When the bathroom door opened and the light went out, Jim quickly made his way to the closet and dug around for extra blankets.

"Jim.. is that you?"

Looking over his shoulder, Jim saw his sleepy wife sitting up in bed. She used her hand to block out the light from the lamp, gazing across the room at him.

"Yeah, I just got in," he said, as he went back to searching the closet with little light.

"W-what are you doing?" she yawned, watching as he was half in the closet.

A heavy jacket fell off the hanger and landed on his head, causing him to curse. Rose pushed the blankets off and got out of bed, making her way towards him.

"Computer, lights to eighty percent," she mumbled, as she moved.

The lights came on and Jim tossed the jacket to the side, and stood up to face her. Rose wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his embrace, resting her head on his chest.

"What's so interesting about the closet?" she asked, as he rubbed her back.

"It's so damn cold in here! I thought we had extra blankets," he said, looking down at the mess he created in the closet.

Rose yawned, "I tried fixing the thermostat, but I think there's a glitch. I was going to call Scotty, but I fell asleep,"

Jim chuckled, "It's alright. I'll go take a look and see if I can fix it myself," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I think the extra blankets are in the linen closet down the hall," she said, making her way back to the bed.

After fiddling through the control panel, Jim couldn't figure out how to put the heat on and gave up after his override was denied for the tenth time. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants from the laundry basket, he slipped them on and made his way out into the hall. He made sure to take the softest and heaviest blankets that were stored in the linen closet, before making his way back to his quarters.

Rose was in and out of consciousness when he returned, lifting her head up to look at him when he shook out the blankets and laid them over her and the bed.

"Mmmm, warmth," she mumbled, as she slithered further down the bed, "Put a shirt on so you don't freeze," she said.

Jim snorted, "I wont freeze. Besides, I could warm you up," he said, winking at her.

"And I could hypo you all I want, when you get the chills or the common cold," she shot back, as he unfolded the third blanket.

With a sigh, Jim grabbed a shirt that was sitting on the chair and pulled it over his head. He then pulled the blankets down on his side of the bed and climbed in, pulling the sheet and three comforters over his body. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Rose slid over and attached herself at his side. Her head rested on his chest and her legs intertwined with his. Her bare feet rested on his, causing him to yelp.

"Dammit! Your feet are ice cold!" he exclaimed, as Rose giggled.

"You said you'd warm me up, Jimmy. So warm me up," she said, as her foot brushed against his.

Jim brushed his fingers along her side, making her squirm in the process. He snorted when she went stiff as a board, groaning as his hands slipped up the back of her shirt.

"Don't start something you can't finish," he tutted, as she pouted.

He then pulled her close and kissed her, before reaching out from under the blankets to pull them up higher. Once they were cocooned under them, Jim ordered the lights off and snuggled deep into the blankets.

"Are you going in early tomorrow?" he asked, yawning.

Rose shook her head, "No. I told Christine that I needed some extra sleep and she's covering me 0900," she said.

Jim nodded, "We can have breakfast together or do something before our shifts start," he said, as his eyes drifted shut.

Rose patted his chest lightly, "Yes Jim, we can have sex tomorrow," she mumbled, as he grunted in approval.

Within seconds, nothing but the sound of their breathing, filled the room.


	22. Chapter 22

The next two weeks went by in a blur, as the married couple worked their shifts and spent their free time together, celebrating their post-marital bliss. While Jim was off on the bridge, Rose spent her time in sickbay with Christine and Leonard. On days when so few patients came through, Leonard allowed the two ladies to help with research for upcoming missions or on potential properties to make vaccines.

It was Rose's day off from Leonard's service and she took up Nyota's offer for a morning in the gym. Leaving Jim early in the morning, passed out in their bed, Rose headed down to the lower decks and met the communications officer just outside the gymnasium. After a light run on the treadmill, both girls set up yoga mats in the far corner of the gym, and began their stretching and warm ups.

"You look different," Nyota said, as she went into the plank position on her mat.

Rose was stretching her legs, still stiff from the night before, when she looked over at her friend. "Different? How?" she asked, frowning.

Nyota went into downward dog, letting out a steady breath and she concentrated. "I don't know what it is, but you look happier," she said, as went into upward dog, her muscles flexing as she stretched.

Rose stood up and raised her arms above her head, "I am happy," she said, as Nyota looked up at her.

After a few moments of silence she finally spoke again, "You're boobs look a little bigger,"

Rose nearly fell on her ass, wobbling on one foot. "WHAT!" she shouted, looking down at her friend with wide eyes.

Nyota rolled her eyes, "Not like.. massive or anything! Is it a side effect of that new birth control hypo?" she asked

The mention of birth control suddenly put Rose in shock, as Nyota continued to ramble on about the side effects. The shot was administered a few weeks ago before shore leave, and Rose was too busy administering them that she forgot to get it herself. And with the amount of sex that she and Jim were having, both sober and intoxicated after poker night with the boys, it wouldn't surprise her if they had forgotten to use protection.

"Rose?"

The redhead jumped, turning her head to Nyota who now stood next to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, frowning.

Rose nodded, "Yeah, fine!" she said quickly, before slipping her feet into her flip-flops. "I just realized that Jim never set his alarm clock, so I better head back and make sure he's up and ready for his shift," she said quickly.

She quickly dashed out of the gym before Nyota could even say goodbye, and headed towards the turbo lifts. Instead of returning to her residence floor, Rose snuck into sickbay and grabbed a tri-corder from the cabinet above the sink. She then carried it onto the bathroom and locked herself in, leaning against the sink. Her hands shook as she turned the device on, using her passcode to set up the test. It only took a few minutes, after running the machine over her abdomen and pelvis, for the results to come back.

Rose stared at the machine in her hands, as the negative results flashed before her. Though relieved, she couldn't help the sudden sadness that came over her. While the doctor who knew about her miscarriage assured her that she was perfectly healthy to have more children, the sudden fear of being infertile took over her mind. Jim would talk about their future children as they lay in bed at night, and how they would have a little girl that looked so much like her and a boy that would be the "splitting image" of Jim himself. Jim promised to give her "lots of babies" on their wedding night, as they made love.

Erasing the results from the tri-corder, Rose quickly returned it to the cabinet before sneaking back out of sickbay. Tomorrow she would give herself the birth control hypo before starting her shift. She took the lift back to her and Jim's room, quietly walking inside. She could hear Jim in his office speaking to someone, as she made her way into the bathroom for a shower. A few minutes later, dressed in on of Jim's old t-shirts, Rose made her way into the sitting room and plopped down on the sofa.

"Hey, baby doll," Jim said with a grin, as he made his way over to the sofa.

She managed a smile; as he bent down to kiss her, before sitting next to her. Rose closed her eyes and sighed, as Jim pulled her into his arms, tugging lightly at the damp strands of hair that hung down her back.

"You look sad," he said a few minutes later, as Rose stared at the wall across from them.

Part of her wanted to keep the negative results to herself, but they had both promised each other to never keep secrets, unless they were good ones.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" Jim asked, as she turned her head to look at him.

"I took a test today," she said, as her husband frowned.

"A test? " he asked, confused. He couldn't remember her saying anything about being scheduled for any exams.

Rose nodded, "A pregnancy test.." she whispered, looking down at her lap.

Jim looked away from his wife, glancing around the room, trying to process the news. He then looked back at her, watching as she stared at her lap.

"What did it say?" he asked, nervous at what her answer would be.

"Negative.." she choked out, her voice quivering.

At that moment Jim felt two things; sadness and relief. He then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his lap. Rose clutched him tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Rosie," he said, as she held onto him.

She sighed, "I don't know. While I'm relieved that I'm not pregnant, I can't help feeling sad," she said, pulling her head back to look at him. "What if I can't have a baby?" she asked.

Jim reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, "You can, Rose," he said, as she shook her head.

"But we're not sure of that. I already lost one child, who's to say that I wont lose another?" she asked.

"Fate works in mysterious ways, baby," he said, as she shifted in his lap. "Just give it time, Rose. We'll get our chance," he said, as brushed his thumb across her cheek. "You'll see,"

She gave him a small smile as he leaned over to kiss her, resting his forehead against hers. "Now, how about we start practicing?" he asked, earning a giggle in response.

The next day, while Rose and Christine went to re-stock hypos and surgical supplies, Jim and Leonard sat in his office. As Rose marked off on a PADD on what hypos they were short on, she peered out into the hallway, her eyes on Leonard's office door. Seeing that it was shut, she quickly ducked back into the supply room.

"Okay, we need to start planning Jim's surprise party," she said, as Christine did her part of the inventory.

Christine groaned, "You put me with Scotty on liquor duty. That man wants to put one order in for six cases of Scotch. Does anyone besides him drink that?" she asked.

Rose snickered, "I drink it from time to time, but I know a few people onboard that do," she said.

The blonde rolled her eyes; "I wish you'd put me with Nyota and Pavel. Decorations and music are more of my thing," she said, setting the tray of flu hypos down onto the counter.

"Well, you were late to our meeting," Rose pointed out, as Christine marked off the amount of hypos they had.

She grumbled, "S'not my fault that my computer had a meltdown," she snapped, as the redhead giggled.

"Fine, you can help me with ordering a cake" she said, moving across the room. "Spock swears that we'll be at another star base by the time we have the party, so I'm putting in an order for his cake tonight. I'll come by your room after dinner with Nyota and we can put the order in," she said, before resuming back to work.

By the early evening shift, Rose went down for dinner with Jim, before excusing herself to meet with the girls. After an hour, they picked out a cake and placed the order in at a bakery on the next star base, and they dispersed for the evening. A quick shower and a round of playtime with Jim, Rose went to bed with party plans in her head and woke up the next morning with a list of things to do. Jim's birthday was two weeks away, and they were both anxious about revealing their news to the crew. While Jim requested a small get together with his close friends, with a game of poker, beer and junk food, Rose wanted to celebrate his birthday with a little more.

"You only turn twenty-nine once," she said, after he shot down the idea of a piñata.

He laughed from the bathroom, "What does a piñata have to do with me turning twenty-nine?" he asked, as Rose lounged across their bed.

"I don't know. It sounded fun," she said, shrugging.

"Well, I don't think a piñata is a good idea. You know how us men get with too much liquor running through our veins," he said, as the tap went on.

Rose laughed, "Oh trust me, the hangover hypos tell me everything,"

A few minutes later, Jim stepped out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of their bed.

"You're not scheming are you?" he asked, as Rose laid on her back, looking up at him.

"Nope, just thinking about which lingerie I should wear that night. The black lace set to get a dominatrix mood or that pretty blue set. You know, the one that matches your eyes so well," she smirked.

Jim was about to tackle her, when the computer in his office went off. Tempted to ignore it, he reluctantly left his wife on their bed and made his way into the office to retrieve the incoming message.

"I hope that message was worth it, Jim! I have ten minutes before I head over to Pavel's," she shouted.

A few minutes later, Jim walked back into the bedroom with a look of annoyance on his face. Rose quickly rolled over and pulled herself up onto her knees, reaching out for him as he stood by the bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking in the expression on his face.

Jim cleared his throat, "Admiral Barnett will be near by the Sirius star base," he said, as she nodded. "They are having a meeting about setting up the remaining Vulcan colony on their new planet," he said.

Rose frowned, "That doesn't sound so bad. Do they want _Enterprise _to orbit their new planet?" she asked.

"I don't know the full details, but I am not going to that damn meeting," he snapped.

"Um, you have to. You're the Captain, remember?" she asked, as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I'll send Spock,"

Rose sighed, "Tell me what else Barnett said. I haven't seen you this pissed off over a message from him since the last time he called," she said.

Jim sighed and she squeezed his hand, "Jim. Don't lie to me. What did he really say? Why aren't you going to the meeting?" she asked.

"Because Pike is going,"


	23. Chapter 23

Rose and Jim went their separate ways after that- him to the bridge for work, her to Pavel's for a Russian lesson- both annoyed and snippy. Pavel knew automatically that the older woman was in a bad mood, and cautiously worked around her as she furiously typed away at his lessons he set up for her on the PADD. When their lesson was up, Rose apologized to the young Ensign for her attitude and gave him a hug. She promised to see him for dinner and quickly made her way down to Sickbay for her shift.

For the entire afternoon Rose took her anger out on patients, jabbing them with hyposprays and snapping at their stupidity for obtaining simple wounds. Leonard, who was the King of Grumpiness, had to kick her out after she made a young Ensign cry.

"I'm all up for scolding, but you're taking it to the next level," he told her, as he ushered her out into the hall.

She cursed and grumbled her way into the turbo lifts, and continued to do so as she went into the Captain's quarters. For the next few hours, she kept herself busy with small chores before the dinner shift started. Like she promised, Rose had dinner with Pavel, Scotty and Sulu. When Jim and Leonard came into the mess hall, she ignored her husband's watchful stare. Scotty was in the middle of a story, when they sat down at the table.

"You're not telling them about kid that burned his eyebrows off, are you?" Leonard asked, as Scotty laughed.

"What is wrong with that story? Tis' verra good!" the Scot exclaimed, as Sulu and Chekov chuckled.

As they bickered and laughed, Jim kept his eyes on Rose as he ate. She kept her eyes on the designated speaker, before turning them to her tray when Jim spoke. After a few minutes, she stood up from the table and collected her garbage. Wishing them a good evening, Rose deposited her tray at the garbage chute, and made her way back to the room. She was changing out of her uniform, when Jim came storming into the bedroom.

"You're going to ignore me now?" he shouted, as she unclasped her bra.

He watched as the dainty material was tossed to the side, exposing her bare back.

"You're going to doubt my faithfulness and judgment?" she snapped, as she reached for her bathrobe.

Jim grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around to face him, her hair falling into her face as he did so.

"Dammit Rose! You know that's not what I meant!" he exclaimed, holding onto her arm.

She pushed against him, "Let go of me!" she snapped, giving his chest a shove with her free hand.

"Not until you hear me out!

She let out a growl before wrenching her arm out of his grasp, ducking around him to escape into the sitting room. Jim followed her, watching as she searched for something to cover herself up with.

"I don't trust him," he said, as she dug through the laundry basket.

She snorted, "That's not what you said this morning!" she yelled, pulling a shirt out.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Rose.." he started, before she cut him off.

"No," she spat, making her way over to him. "Do you really think I'd go back to him?" she asked.

Jim shook his head, "No, of course not.." he said quickly, as she stared up at him.

"I married you, Jim. I married you because I love you and I can't live without you," she said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Chris is my past. You are my future, Jim."

The young Captain sighed, closing his eyes in shame. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to think that I didn't trust you. I do trust you, Rose," he said.

Rose sighed, "You two need to straighten this out," she said, as he groaned. "He's the Admiral and this _was _his ship. _Enterprise _was his pride and joy for five years, and Barnett assigned him to keep tabs on the ship. I know you're mad at him for what's happened, but you need to put it behind you, Jim. It's the done and over! That man loves you and I know deep down that you do as well," she said.

"No, I don't," he snapped.

Rose pulled away and moved back to the couch, retrieving the shirt and pulling it over her head.

"Yes you do. That man was your mentor for three years, and you wanted to serve on the _Enterprise _at his side. And he's watched you everyday since that night in Iowa. He knows your potential and knows you're going to be the best Captain that Starfleet has," she cried. "So get your head out of your ass and put it behind you! I put my problems behind me and look at me now! I'm happy and married to my best friend. Pavel is teaching me Russian and I'm becoming a female version of Leonard, stabbing patients and reducing them to tears!"

Jim chuckled, "I heard about that. Bones kicked you out," he snorted.

Rose nodded, "He did," she confirmed, before her sighed. "Please? Do it for me. For yourself," she begged.

Jim sighed, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. "Fine. I'll do it," he said, shaking his head. "But don't expect us to have the relationship we had before," he warned, as his wife went to him for a hug.

"I wouldn't expect quick results, love. But one day, many years from now, maybe," she said, looking up at him.

"Maybe," he said, before grinning. "Let's go to bed. All that pent up anger put me in the mood," he said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Rose giggled and yelped as Jim picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder. He then rushed forward to their bedroom, tossing her down onto the bed with a yell.

The week flew by and the mention of the impending meeting didn't come up, as the _Enterprise _made it's way towards the star base, right on schedule. As Jim went about his duties, Rose and their friends met and sent messages through the day about the party. The status of the cake was right on course, scheduled to be ready the day of the party next week. Nyota and Pavel were set to pick up the decorations- multicolored Christmas lights and Chinese paper lanterns- the day they docked. The music had be downloaded and programed to a PADD that was locked up in Pavel's quarters. Sulu and Leonard swore up and down that they had everything under control when it came to the food. The last thing they wanted was a pissed off redhead, out for their heads.

"Don't worry, darlin'. Sulu and I had the order sent right after we had the meetin'," Leonard said on morning, as she cornered him in his office.

Christine managed to send a full list of liquor to Rose, after getting Scotty to agree that Scotch couldn't be the only thing served. She was pleased to see that Christine added the ingredients for a Cardassian Sunrise as well as a few bottles of Sangria and multiple flavors of vodka. Everything was scheduled to be picked up the day they docked at the base, thanks to Spock and Nyota, who searched for the required places to pick up such things. Spock kept her updated on the room that they party would take place in, with a promise that it would be arranged to host a party of twenty.

"Party planning is too stressful," Rose exclaimed, as she threw herself across Nyota's bed.

"You're the one that wanted to throw a surprise party!" Nyota shouted, as she and Christine made their way from the small kitchenette.

Rose sighed, "Remind me to never do this again," she mumbled, as they came into the bedroom, carrying drinks.

Christine laughed as she handed the glass to her friend, before plopping down next to her.

"Think of how happy he'll be when he sees all his friends waiting for him," she said, as Nyota fiddled with the thermostat.

She snorted, "Think of how happy she's going to be when he gets his hands on her," she said, nodding her head towards Rose.

Rose groaned, "I'll be happy when my uterus decides to calm the hell down,"

Christine laughed, while Nyota gave her a sympathetic look. Rose pushed her palm deeply against her lower abdomen, counting to ten as the pain passed.

"Take a hypo for it! That's what we have them for!" the nurse snapped, as she took a sip from her drink.

Nyota dug around her nightstand draw, "I think I have something for the pain," she muttered, placing her glass down.

Rose shook her head, "No, it's fine," she mumbled, turning over onto her belly. "This makes it feel a bit better. Besides, Jim knows how to minimalize the pain when they're really bad," she said.

Nyota made a face, "Ugh, I don't want to know," she said, before sitting down on her bed.

"We don't do that, Ny," said Rose, as she rolled her eyes. "He just applies the right amount of pressure to my stomach and it's like having a heating pad filled with hot stones on you," she mumbled, sighing at the thought.

Nyota and Christine shared a look, "So, our Captain has talented hands, huh?"

"So does our CMO, _Christine, _" Rose hissed, which caused the blonde to yelp.

Nyota gaped at her, "You and _McCoy! _OH MY GOD!" she shrieked, slapping a hand across her mouth.

Rose snorted as Christine tried to defend herself and quickly jumped to her defense, "No, they're aren't. But by the looks these two send each other, I wouldn't be shocked if I walked on them in his office or something," she said.

Christine pinched the back of her thigh, making her scream. "Shut it! Just because you're having sex, doesn't mean you have to feel superior to those who aren't," she growled.

Rose rolled over onto her back again, "Oh Chrissy, I don't feel superior over you. I want Leonard to take you on his desk just as much as you do!" she smirked, as Nyota snorted.

Christine's face turned a deep shade of red, and she pulled herself off the bed. Grumbling and cursing, she marched out of the bedroom, leaving her two friends on the bed, rolling with laughter.


	24. Chapter 24

Once the _Enterprise _docked for repairs and stock, everyone moved into battle positions, as they snuck everything onboard. With much begging and promises to fill in for laboratory hours, Rose managed to get Spock to stay with Jim on the bridge for as long as possible. Nyota, ever skilled with the communications system onboard, managed to secure private lines for everyone to communicate through. Two hours and many close calls later, the team had a conference room decked out in full party gear.

"Now what?" Sulu asked, setting the last crate of alcohol near the wall.

"Now we go back to what we normally do," said Rose, as she checked over everything. "Everyone needs to be here by 1900 to put the food out and Spock promises to bring Jim down here after Scotty calls him with an "emergency" " she said, looking to the Scot for approval.

"Don't worry, lassie. Everathing will go a smooth as buttah!" he winked, while the others chuckled.

Nyota clapped her hands, "Alright! Everyone head back to your stations! If you're scheduled for break in the base I suggest you get going!" she barked.

With a flash, everyone took off running. Rose and Nyota stood in the decorated room, watching as a sea of yellows, blues and reds ran through the door.

"I've never seen a group of men run so fast," Nyota said, as she stared at the empty doorway.

Rose snorted, "Me either," she replied. "Come on, I'm starving and I still need to figure out what I'm wearing later," she said, pulling Nyota out of the room.

"Oh please, whatever you end up picking will end up on the floor," Nyota said, rolling her eyes as she locked the room.

By 1600, Rose was alone in her quarters, after having a late lunch and ripping through her closet. With her party clothes set on the chair, Rose lounged across the bed reading the latest issue of _Galaxy Style _on her PADD. Halfway through the winter fashions, the door chime went off and the sound of someone coming in, startled her.

"Baby? Are you home?"

Rose's eyes went wide as she scrambled to get off the bed to hide her clothes. But before she could even put her feet on the floor, Jim was making his way into their bedroom.

"Oh good! I need a distraction so bad," he said, climbing onto the bed.

Rose was stunned into silence, as her husband leaned over her. His eyes twinkled as he smiled at her, before leaning down to kiss her. Pulling away, Rose managed to compose herself and ask the one question that ran through her mind.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you had to be on the bridge?" she asked, as Jim nipped at her neck.

"I fled the moment Spock had his back turned and hoped that you would be here," he murmured, as his lips went to her collarbone.

Shuddering, Rose bit back a moan and tried to get more out of her husband. "Jimmy, if Spock comes through that door and finds us half naked, I'll kill you," she warned.

"Don't worry. I made sure the computer would ignore his override," he said, as his eyes traveled to the chair in the corner of the room. "That's a nice dress," he said, nodding to the red and black outfit. "Is it new?"

Rose stared at the dress upside down, "Oh that?" she breathed, licking her lips nervously. "No, not new. I just wanted to fix it up for that nice dinner you're going to take me to tomorrow night," she said.

Jim was tugging at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head, "Well, I hope you don't fix it up too much. Since it'll end up on the floor in scraps," he smirked.

Two hours and sending a comm to Spock, Rose managed to get Jim back to the bridge for an emergency. Once he left, Rose jumped into the shower and quickly dressed. She only had an hour before Spock would bring Jim to the conference room, and she was pressed for time. Slipping the knee-length red and black satin dress over her head, Rose jammed her feet into a pair of heels and quickly grabbed her communicator off the nightstand.

As she made her way to the turbolifts, she found several missed messages from her crewmembers. Cursing at Jim's surprise return and sexual appetite, she made her way down the hall and used the secret code to enter the room. As the door swished open, several heads turned toward her.

"What the hell? I sent you several messages!" Nyota shouted, as she and Christine laid the food out onto the table.

Scotty and Pavel were busy putting the drinks out into buckets of ice, trying to avoid Nyota's wrath.

Blushing, Rose made her way over to the table and gave an apologetic look to her friends. "I'm sorry! Jim came back to the room unexpectedly and I got caught up," she whispered.

Nyota rolled her eyes, "Are you serious?" she asked, as the redhead nodded. "Can't that man keep it in his pants until he's off duty?" she snapped.

"What do you want me to do? He turns into a total wanker if he can't get a shag in!" Rose snapped, as she stormed into the small kitchenette.

Shortly before 1900, Sulu arrived with Leonard, dressed in their causal wear. The rest of the bridge crew, coming off of Beta shift, arrived shortly after.

"Man am I glad to be dressed down for this!" Sulu said, as he grabbed a beer out of the ice bucket.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "Why? You'll end up tossing your food all over those clothes," he said.

Rose snorted, "Don't be a dud, Leonard. Loosen up and have some fun," she said, patting his arm as she walked by.

Nyota looked up from her communicator, "Everyone shut up! Spock and Kirk are on their way! They just stepped off the turbolift!" she exclaimed.

Everyone quietly stood and waited, whispering to one another, as they heard Jim from down the hall.

"I don't know, Spock. I really think we should just skip the meeting tomorrow! We could go to breakfast down on the base! You, me, Rose and Nyota!"

Both girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Jim couldn't stop with his plotting to get out of the meeting that he dreaded.

"I will kill that man if he risks his career over a meeting," Rose whispered, as Spock answered him.

"Captain, I would insist that you rethink that choice," he said.

The sound of the door unlocking was heard throughout the room, as everyone held their breath. The door began to open, and Rose spotted Jim with his back towards everyone in the room. 

"Come on, Spock! Please? I'm b-"

"SURPRISE!"

Jim let out a shout as he spun around, his eyes wide as he saw his friends and crew members before him. His heart was racing, as they all shouted "Happy Birthday" and Scotty shoved a drink into his hands.

"What the hell? Spock did you know about this?" Jim asked, as the Vulcan watched.

"Lieutenant Conrad requested my help for today, Captain," he said.

Jim laughed and nodded, before making his way through the crowd. He thanked each of his friends, despite the fact that his birthday was tomorrow. As he accepted a quick kiss on the cheek from Christine, Jim spotted Rose by one of the tables and snuck up behind her.

"You are a sneaky woman," he whispered into her ear, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She smirked, "And you're a very determined man," she whispered back, "Ny flipped on me when I showed up with an hour to spare," she said, turning around to face him.

Jim laughed, "Wait until tomorrow when you're late for work. I plan on thanking you in every way possible," he said, before kissing her. "Thank you, babe. This is wonderful," he said.

"You're welcome, birthday boy. Now, shall we greet your guests and get this party started?" she asked.

By 0100, most of the party died down, with several guests retiring for the night. By then, only the senior members of Jim's crew stayed behind, along with Leonard and Christine. The range of alertness went from completely trashed-Jim- to sober- Spock- as the others fell in-between those two. Jim picked up a spoon and tapped it against his glass, before Rose took it from him and carried it back to the table.

"I want to thank you all for coming tonight," he said, wobbling on his own two feet. "You guys are the best fucking team that this ship has, and I am so very happy to have you all," he said, laughing to himself.

Rose shook her head and laughed, as Jim nearly fell on his ass. She then glanced around at the others, watching as Scotty and Sulu had a drinking competition while Pavel kept the score. Out of everyone, Rose made sure the young man didn't have too much to drink, cutting him off after one beer. It would kill her to watch him suffer through a nasty hangover, one of which Jim would be seeing in a few short hours.

Jim then turned and pointed to her, "And Rose," he said, smiling at her. "Rosie my dear wife. She planned this whole shebang!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly the room went still and all eyes turned to her. Rose felt her heart leap to her throat, as everyone stared at her.

"Wife?" Leonard asked, pulling himself out a drunken haze.

Scotty's put the shot glass down, frowning at the group. "Who got married?" he asked.

Rose let out a shaky breath as she made her way over to Jim, who was now sititng on the floor. She looked at their faces, the expressions ranging from anger to confusion, and she felt her hands shake. They had planned a better way to tell everyone, and clearly this wasn't it.

"Well you see.." she started, looking at them with worried eyes. "Jim and I got married," she said.


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you for the reviews! I have a new story up, **_**A Million Fragments of You and Me. **_**Please read and review! Thank you!**

Rose managed to remove Jim from the angry stares, with the help of Pavel and Sulu, to their room. Both were happy for the couple, even promising to take them out for a drink later that week. Rose nearly cried as Pavel gave her a hug, wishing her the best in his native language. Afterwards, Rose managed to strip Jim out of his uniform, set up a waste bin near his side of the bed, and tuck him in. As she got ready for bed, she couldn't stop the voices that filled her head. Or keep the looks that everyone wore on their face after the news came out.

"_You got married without us!" Nyota shouted, as Spock stood by her._

"_Did he knock you up? Dammit Jim! Now I have to worry about your damn kid and all the allergies it'll end up getting from you!" Leonard shouted._

"_I thought we were friends, Rose! How could you hide something like this!" Christine cried, as tears fell from her eyes. _

"_Wait- you two got married? Well it's about bloody time, if ye ask me!" Scotty said, grinning. _

Sleep didn't come easy and to make matters worse, Rose woke up to an angry comm from Leonard, demanding for her and Jim's presence at his office by 0600. It was struggle to get Jim out of bed, showered and dressed, as he staggered after her in the hallways.

"Why do we have to be here?" he asked, groaning as Rose led him the office.

Christine was at her usual spot behind her desk, and avoided all eye contact with the couple as they walked by.

"Why is she all mad? Did Bones leave her high and dry after the party?" he asked with a snicker.

"No you infant. She's pissed at the two of you for hidin' the fact that you ran off and got married."

Rose and Jim stopped and saw that Leonard was waiting by a bio-bed, with two PADDS.

"Better get over here. I don't have all day for this," he snapped.

The couple glanced at each other, before making their way over to the bio-bed. They sat down next to each other and watched as Leonard mumbled and went through the files on the PADD.

"Bones, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about getting married. We jus-" Jim started, before he was cut off.

"Don't worry about it, kid. I'm not that mad at you two," he said, as his eyes roamed the chart he was reading.

Rose frowned, "You're not?" she asked.

Leonard shook his head, "Nope. Christine is, but I got over it the moment I crashed into bed," he said with a shrug. He then looked up at them both, "You're both crazy and a match made in high heaven. Ain't no one else in the entire universe would be crazy enough to marry you two," he said.

"So.. you didn't call us here to kill us? Inject us with some crazy disease that will make Jim's balls shrink to the size of peas?" she asked.

Jim yelped and looked at her with a frown, "What?" he asked, shaking his head.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to kill you two, I would've done it years ago. Save me all the stress and the booze in my liquor cabinet," he said, with a sigh. "I call you two idiots down here so I can put your medical history together in one file, now that your married," he said.

"You could've done that without us, Bones. I'm hungover," Jim whined.

Rose elbowed him, "Shut it! I gave you a hypo and you're fine," she snapped.

"I need you two to look over it and fill in whatever's missing and sign off on it," he said, watching as the couple bickered. "ENOUGH!" he snapped.

They jumped at his outburst and quickly quieted down, watching as the older man sighed.

"And I need you to be clear on everything in these files. I need to know everything just in case one of you is terminally ill, mortally wounded or if you take the risk and start reproducing spawns with this one," he said, giving Rose a hard look.

Jim grinned, "Of course she's going to have my _spawns, _Bones. Look how hot I am. And Rose is a total babe. Our kids are going to be the best human offspring's that came from Starfleet," he said, throwing his arm around Rose's shoulder.

Rose winced at her husband and Leonard rolled his eyes. He had such a way with words, which drove them both mad.

"God help me," Leonard mumbled, as he went to work.

Several hours later, as Jim and Spock left for the dreaded meeting, Rose went to lunch with Scotty, Sulu and Pavel. The trio couldn't stop asking questions about their wedding and wanted to know why they eloped.

"We just wanted to do it. Why wait?" she said, as they sat around eating.

"Yeah but.. you're not like…" Sulu asked, looking at her stomach.

She laughed, "No. I'm not pregnant," she said, as Sulu blushed. "We have a crazy lifestyle, and our job doesn't guarantee safety. We had the opportunity to get married on shore leave and we took it," Rose said, with a shrug.

"Well, I say we have a night out. Bring yer hubby and the five o' us can celebrate!" Scotty said with a nod, before knocking back his drink.

Afterwards, they split. The boys went off to shop around, while Rose headed towards Starfleet issued federal building to meet with Jim. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was a little after 1300 hours and the meeting would be ending shortly. Taking a seat on one of the benches, Rose fiddled around with her comm., sending out messages to Nyota and Christine, begging for forgiveness.

Just as she hit 'send' for Christine's message, she heard her name being called.

"Rose?"

Looking up from her handheld, Rose gasped.

"Chris."

Sure enough, Christopher Pike stood a few feet away from her, dressed in his Admiral uniform. Rose looked at him from head to toe, amazed that he was standing on his own two feet. When she last saw him, he was unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair. Standing up, Rose slowly made her way towards him.

"Yo-You can walk," she said, amazed at his progress.

Chris nodded, "Yeah. Took three years, but I still need the extra help," he said, holding up the cane that she failed to see.

Rose managed a small smile, "That's great, Chris. Really. I'm glad everything worked out with Leonard's intense medical planning," she said.

"Too intense if you ask me," he said with a small smile.

An awkward silence fell between the two, as they stood across from each other.

"Everything going well on the ship?" Chris asked.

Rose nodded, "Yeah. It's been a good trip so far," she said. "A few mishaps and interesting missions.." she said.

Chris was about to reply when someone shouted from behind.

"Rose!"

She quickly turned around and saw Jim coming towards them, and she could see the look on his face. Anger.

Putting on a smile, she held out her hand. "Darling," she said, before glancing back at Chris. "Good meeting?" she asked, as Jim wrapped his arm around her waist.

Jim pulled her close while glaring at the Admiral, silently telling him that Rose was his and his only.

"It was fine," he said, tearing his eyes away from the older man to look at his wife. "Are you ready to go? I'm starving," he said.

"Oh. I already ate with the boys," she said, glancing nervously between her husband and former lover. "How about you two go ahead and I'll catch up with you later? We can go pick up a few things?" she asked.

Jim opened his mouth to protest, when she gave him a look.

"Please" she mouthed, her eyes filled with worry and sadness. "Go on, love. It'll be fine," she whispered.

Letting out a sigh, Jim turned to Chris. "Wanna grab a bite to eat? We should probably talk," he said.

Chris nodded, "I'd like that, Kirk," he said.

Jim made a show of giving Rose a deep kiss, his hands running down her back. She quickly pulled away before he could be any more obvious, and shook her head.

"Have fun!" she said, as she took a step back. "It was good seeing you, Chris. Really. You look great!" she said, giving him a small wave.

They both said their goodbyes and Rose watched as they both headed in the opposite direction, keeping a wide space between them. With a sigh, Rose turned and headed back to the ship, praying for a miracle.


	26. Chapter 26

Jim sat across from Pike at a table in a dimly lit restaurant, staring him down as they silently drank their coffee. The tension between the two was so thick, even the waitress kept her distance as she took their orders and brought their coffees to them.

"If you stare any harder, you'd probably burn holes through me," Chris said, as he settled his cup down.

Jim scowled before looking down at his own coffee, "I wouldn't have to stare at you if my wife didn't push me to having lunch with you," he snapped.

"You're wife?"

Jim looked up at him and nodded, "Yes. My _wife," _he hissed.

Chris looked taken back at the sudden news, looking down at the table as he digested it.

"Congratulations Jim. I'm happy for you,' he said, nodding.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Oh please. Don't even pretend to have any happiness for me. I saw how you were looking at Rose,"

Chris shook his head, "Jim, I have no intentions of stealing Rose from you. She is not mine to steal or whisk away," he said, looking at the younger man.

Jim laughed bitterly, "I've hated you for most of this mission. Almost four years and I couldn't stand you after I found out," he said.

The older man nodded, "I don't blame you, Jim," he said.

The waitress quickly appeared with their food and set the plates down, before vanishing to her other tables.

"Jim," Chris started. "I'm truly sorry for what has happened between the three of us- mostly between you and me. I've considered you as family, a son even. After risking your life to save mine, when you could've left me there," he trailed off.

There was a moment of silence between them, as they tried to fight through the mix of anger and sadness.

"I can't guarantee that I'll ever be able to trust you like I did before I found out," said Jim. "I still want to kick your ass for what you did to her. You kept her from her friends- Leonard and myself. And then you broke her heart by sending her off because you couldn't do it anymore. The mother of your child needed you and you just pushed her away after we came back," he spat.

"But if I never pushed her away," Chris started, looking up at him. "You wouldn't be married to her now," he pointed out.

Jim's mouth hung open, at a loss for words. Chris was right, as much as Jim hated to admit. Had Rose stayed in San Francisco, she would've married Chris and most likely be a mother to his children. And he would be alone on a starship, having fling after fling with no attachment.

"So when I say that I'm happy for you, for both of you, I mean it," Chris continued. "When I told Rose to go on this mission, I hoped to god that she would find someone who could take care of her. To give her what I couldn't give her," he said.

"You were named Admiral. You could've given her everything," Jim retorted.

Chris sighed, "I was in a wheelchair and that demanded extensive recovery. I couldn't put Rose through that. I didn't want her to see me in that state of weakness because she deserved so much better than that."

He looked up at Jim and sighed, "She looks happier now. There's a light in her eyes that wasn't there when we were together," he said.

Jim saw the flash of sadness in the older man's eyes, and felt sorry for him. He wished that the feelings of anger and betrayal would stay within him, but Christopher Pike was part of his life. While Rose was the reason why he joined Starfleet after that bar fight, it was Chris who gave him that push. Had he skipped the shuttle, it would be a safe bet to say that Earth wouldn't be rotating around the Sun anymore. And if someone else had managed to do what he did, he wouldn't have Rose.

"She loved you. She told me herself," Jim said quietly.

"I know she did. That's why I had to let her go," said Chris.

Jim sighed, "When I found out that I had to be in the same room as you, I tried to plan out a way to keep Rose from seeing you. From even crossing paths with you," he said, shaking his head. "I don't even know why.."

"If you really think she'd leave you after seeing my old self, then maybe McCoy should lay off the hypo's," said Chris, as he fiddled with the wrapped utensils next to his dish. "Rose would be insane to leave you, Jim. If she even dared to, I would personally send her back to you. We aren't meant to be together and she knows that," he stated.

"Doesn't stop me from worrying and dreading the moment when she'll get tired of me," he said, playing with the saltshaker.

Chris shrugged, "You two were friends before joining Starfleet, and you managed to stick together for all these years," he said. Jim's look of doubt made the older man sigh, "Kid, she wouldn't leave you if that ship was on the verge of disaster."

Jim nodded silently and nodded his chin towards the dish, "We should probably eat. I told Rose I'd be back at a proper hour for dinner tonight and she's trying to find a house for us in San Francisco to rent when we get back," he said.

"A house? I pictured you more of an apartment kind of guy," said Chris, as he unwrapped the utensils.

He snorted, "I also pictured myself living alone in said apartment," he replied. "But Rose thinks a house would be a good idea. Stability is what she calls it."

They started eating, cutting and seasoning their dishes with salt and pepper. "More like growing up and settling down for a while," said Chris.

"Never thought you'd see that coming, huh?" Jim asked, with a small smirk.

Chris shook his head, "Hell no. Captain of the best Federation ship and married? I'm still getting used to the fact that you actually tell people what to do."

Jim laughed, "I've missed you, old man," he said, his voice filled with honesty. "Despite everything, I've really missed you."

Chris smiled, "I've missed you too, son. My days have been dull without your constant calling."

_Enterprise_

"You mean.. Jim is having lunch with Pike?"

Rose settled on the sofa in Leonard's office, drinking a glass of replicated lemonade, as the doctor sat across from her.

"Yup. He saw us talking and I pushed the idea for them to go to lunch," she said, taking a sip from her chilled glass.

Leonard shook his head, "I can't believe he listened to you. The last time I mentioned the idea of talking to Chris, Jim nearly took my head off with a phaser," he shuddered.

Rose smirked, "That's because I'm his wife. If he doesn't listen to me, I withhold sex and he sleeps on the couch,"

"Dammit, I don't need to know about your sex life," he snapped, as he reached for the bottle of bourbon.

She pouted, "But darling, you're my husbands friend. Witch means you're my friend and my doctor! You know everything about us and you've willingly signed up to be our future offspring's doctor as well," she grinned.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "Yeah and I have a feeling that I'll regret it," he mumbled, sinking lower into the sofa.

"Oh Bones, you know you love us. Who else would keep you on your toes?" she asked.

"Whatever," he mumbled. "Why are you so adamant about Jim fixing his relationship with Pike?" he asked.

Rose looked down at her glass, "Chris has been a father figure to him since the moment they met, Len. That man has looked out for him for three years and made sure he had his ass together to stay in the Academy. I can't let that relationship end because I was in a relationship with Chris," she said, shaking her head.

"Do you still love him?" Leonard asked, frowning.

"I will always care for Chris, after everything we've been through it would be silly not to," she said, looking at the various medical degrees on the walls.

"But do you love him?" he asked again, the emphasis on love stronger than before.

"No. Not in the way that I love Jim," she answered. "I am the mother of Chris' unborn child. I am a part of his life when he was happy. If he never made me leave after the incident with Nero, I wouldn't have Jim. Our lives would be different and who knows if we'd be friends," she shrugged. "Jim has my heart. All of it."

Leonard nodded, "Good," he said, taking a sip from his glass. "I would've kicked your ass all across my sickbay if you answered any differently,"

Rose scoffed, "You think you're a big tough man? Who's the one that cried when a lizard jumped out of your med-kit when we beamed off the surface of Tanza?" she asked.

"It was contaminating my stuff!" Leonard bellowed, as she snickered.

The Comm began to buzz on the seat next to her, "Right Len. You started crying as it climbed up your leg," she retorted as she answered the Comm. "Kirk here."

"Rose? It's Ny,"

"Hey Nyota. What's up?" she asked, as Leonard went to refill his glass.

"Are you with Jim?" Nyota asked, her voice filled with urgency.

Rose frowned, "No, he's off to lunch with the Admiral. I'm with Len right now," she said, as Nyota cursed. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're getting a distress call from a ship that went planet side for a Federation meeting. When they reached the surface, they found what appears to be a type of concentration camp with multiple alien races and humans. They are requesting any starships in the vicinity to help," she said.

Rose gasped, "Oh my god. All right, send me all the information to my PADD. I'll call Jim back here. Did you tell Spock?" she asked, reaching across the sofa for the PADD on the table.

"Yes. We both tried calling Jim, but he's not answering," Nyota said, before cursing in a language that Rose didn't understand. "Sorry, I'm getting a bunch of messages at once. Call me back when you get Jim on the line," she said, before ending the call.

Rose looked up from the Comm and shook her head, "Bloody hell. So much for a quiet day," she said, as Leonard got up.

"I'll get Christine and we'll start setting up. Let me know what Jim says," he said, before stepping out of the office.

Dialing the connection to Jim, Rose got up and paced back and forth. After a few seconds, she could hear laughter and music filling the room.

"Helllo?"

"Jim!"

"Rosie! We were just talking about you!" he said, with a laugh.

"You need to come back now. Nyota picked up a distress call and it's bad," she said, as the laughter stopped.

"How bad?" Jim asked, concern filing his voice.

"As bad as Tarsus IV, though we don't know the full details," she said softy.

Jim cursed and she could hear him telling Chris before he came back on the line, "I'll be there in five minutes. Get medical set up and call Spock. Make sure he's putting all the information together," he said.

"Bring Chris too. We're going to need him onboard for when we call the others. Plus, he knows how to handle things like this," she said, as the PADD beeped with incoming information. "Ny just sent a transcript of the call and the coordinates- oh god.." she gasped.

"What's wrong? We're heading over now," he said. "Rose? What's wrong!" he nearly shouted.

Rose could tear her eyes away from the horrific report that Nyota received. "Oh Jim. They have children there. Babies.."

"Rose, put the PADD down and go help Bones. I'll be there in a few minutes," he said. "We'll get them out of there," he promised.

"Hurry Jim," she begged, before hanging up.

Taking a deep breath, Rose shoved her boots on and grabbed the PADD and Comm. Making her way out of the office, she pulled Leonard and Christine aside and showed them the report.

"We need as many beds cleared off. I don't know how many ships were called to answer this, but we have to expect a lot of survivors," Leonard said, as he skimmed the report. "Jesus Christ.." he muttered, shaking his head.

"Do we even have enough supplies? Vaccines and all that?" she asked, looking between her two friends.

Leonard handed the PADD back to Rose, "Lets hope that we do. Call Spock and tell him that I need the name of every ship that's answered the call. I need to know how many people are being brought on board that way if we do run out of supplies, I'll know which ship can offer more," he said, as he started barking orders to the other nurses and doctors.

Christine looked at Rose, "This sounds like Tarsus IV," she said.

Rose nodded, "I know. And I'm worried with Jim having a history with Tarsus IV. If he goes down there and sees this-" she started, before shaking her head.

"It's alright, Rose. Just focus on getting everything ready and prepare to save lives," Christine said, giving her arm a squeeze.

Nodding, Rose excused herself to call Nyota to inform her that Jim was coming back with Chris. "Any word on what planet?" she asked.

"Illyata IV. I don't know much about it, other than it was considered abandoned because of a unknown plague. But I'm guessing that was a cover up for what's really going on there," she said, disgust laced in her voice.

Rose shook her head, "Keep me posted. We're setting up for survivors," she said.

"Will do," Nyota replied, ending the call.


	27. Chapter 27

Time moved slowly as Rose made her way through the crowded sickbay, the sounds of screaming and crying sounding far off in the distance. Six hours had gone by after the _Enterprise _arrived and sent a party down to retrieve survivors. Most were women and children, though more children arrived than women for them. Rose watched as the rail thin and sickly patients took over bio-beds and private rooms, the nurses and doctors moving as fast as they could to assess the damage. Out of fifty-two patients, eighteen never made it past two hours of freedom. Ten were children under the age of eight.

Christine was her rock through the whole process, as they moved from child to child. The nurse made sure to take over whenever Rose found herself incapable of doing so, running off to get gauze pads and hypos. Neither had any clue as to what happened to the survivors and who the monster was that ruined their lives. The last she saw of Jim, was on the transporter with Spock, Sulu and Leonard. She heard his page through sickbay, as he called for security and other personnel to the bridge.

"I need you to take these to bio-bed fourteen," Leonard said, pushing a tray of hypos and a tri-corder. "I have to get Jim down here to see this for himself," he said, before disappearing into his office.

With a shaky sigh, Rose made her way across the room and over to bio-bed fourteen. It was the furthest away from the others, near a porthole to see the stars zooming by. Setting the tray down on the stand, the figure in the bed moved and looked over at her. Rose gasped as she took in the appearance of a small child, burrowed under a blanket.

"Hello," Rose said softly, as the little girl peered at her with wide eyes. "My name is Rose," she greeted, standing at the foot of the bed.

The little girl sat quietly, keeping her eyes on Rose as she stood before her. She had long blonde hair that was tangled and matted against her skull. Her bright green eyes were red from excessive crying, which Rose took note of due to the tearstains on her dirty face. She only wore rags that were stiff and covered in dirty and other unknown substances.

"What's you're name?" Rose asked, as the girl eyed her cautiously.

"M-Miranda," she whimpered, clutching the blanket around her tightly.

Rose smiled, "That's a pretty name, Miranda," she said, before nodding to the tray next to her. "Would it be alright if I checked to make sure that you aren't hurt?" she asked.

Miranda looked at her, "Make sure I has no boo boos?" she asked.

Rose nodded, "Yes darling. I need to make sure you have no boo boos," she said, her heart breaking into a million pieces as she said it.

The girl couldn't be any older than four and Rose couldn't bet on having easy access to treating the girl. She had no idea what Miranda had encountered during captivity. Many of the others- both women and children- were subjected to beatings, torture and even rape. Many of the children were the result of the rapes that took place, and were riddled with disease and life long injuries.

"O-okay," Miranda whimpered, as she rubbed her eye with her fist.

Rose picked up the tri-corder and slowly made her way around the bed, sitting down on the side. She powered up the machine and glanced at the little girl.

"This is a tri-corder," she started, as Miranda watched her. "It tells me everything I need to know about your physical state. If you have a broken bone or internal boo boos," she said, as the machine beeped.

"Does it hurt?" Miranda asked.

Rose shook her head, "No. It wont even touch you," she said. "Here, let me show you," she said, holding her arm out in front of her.

Miranda watched as Rose ran the tri-corder over her arm and jumped when it beeped, signaling that the results were in. Turning the tri-corder over, Rose pointed to the screen.

"See," she said. "It says that my arm is completely fine. No broken bones or any tissue damage," she said.

She then cleared the information out and nodded, "Can I?" she asked, nodding to confirm.

Miranda nodded and Rose stood up to get the full scan. "I need you to lay down and stay very still. Arms flat at your sides," she said. "Take slow deep breaths," she instructed, as she began the scan. "In and out. That's it, Miranda. Very good," she said with a soft smile.

Five minutes later, Rose had all the information downloaded into a PADD. She administered the standard vaccine for all airborne illnesses and another for nutrition, since food would be out of the question until Leonard made the call. Once she was done, Miranda was sitting quietly on the bio-bed.

"We need to get you some clothes and maybe a bath," she said, as she glanced at the mild sedative that each patient was supposed to get.

"Are you taking me home?" Miranda asked.

Rose didn't know what would happen to the survivors once Starfleet took over. This entire event would be plastered in every country, galaxy and federation planet for months- even years. How no one caught wind of this until now, would be a major question to be asked at meetings and in the press.

"I don't know, Miranda. Do you remember where you live? Back on Earth?" she asked.

Miranda shook her head, "Mommy and Daddy went away. The scary man took them," she whimpered.

Rose sat down next to her, "Hey, don't cry," she said. "We're going to take care of you," she said, as Miranda whimpered. "I'm going to take care of you," she promised.

Seconds later, Rose managed to flag Leonard down and brought him over to the bio-bed.

"This is Miranda, " she said, as Leonard nodded slowly. "Miranda this is Doctor McCoy," she said, introducing the girl. "He's going to make sure you get better, just like I will."

Miranda nodded and Rose turned to look at Leonard. "Please," she started, keeping her voice down. "I can't let her sit here in rags and covered in god knows what," she hissed.

Leonard placed his hand on her shoulder, "Take her to the showers down the hall," he said. "I had some of the nurses setting up the stalls with soaps and medical gowns," he said.

Rose nodded and turned to Miranda, "How about we get you cleaned up, hm? A nice warm shower and some clean clothes?" she asked.

Miranda pondered for a moment, "Will you stay with me?" she asked.

"Of course I will," she gasped, trying her best to keep her emotions under control.

With a little nod, Miranda held out her hand and Rose took it. She helped the little girl off the bed and pulled her up into her arms. With a quick nod to Leonard, Rose carried her off to the showers to get her cleaned up.

Christine watched as her friend disappeared down the hall with the child, and turned to Leonard.

"Why do I get the feeling that she's plotting something?" she asked, as Leonard watched her go.

"She's married to Kirk. They're always plotting," he said, before moving away to check on patients.

An hour later, Rose had Miranda tucked back into her bio-bed. Her once matted hair, laid damp down her back. With gentle scrubbing, her once dirty face was now clear and her cheeks were rosy.

"There," Rose said, as she pulled the blanket up over Miranda. "All clean and in a bed."

"I'm hungry," Miranda whined, as Rose pushed the damp strands of hair away from her face.

"I know you are, but Doctor McCoy wants you to wait until the medicine settles. And we need to figure out what to give everyone," she said. "We don't want anyone getting sick," she said.

Miranda nodded, "Do you have cookies?" she asked quietly.

Rose laughed, "I think we can find cookies for you. Maybe a glass of milk too?" she asked.

As Rose sat and talked to Miranda, Jim made his way into sickbay with Chris. Leonard was administering a sedative to one of the women, when he looked up and spotted them. Leaving the patient with Christine, Leonard made his way over to them.

"How bad?" Jim asked, as his eyes scanned the beds before him.

"Bad enough that I want to kill the bastards that did this," he hissed, shaking his head. "We lost half of them within an hour," he said. "Mostly kids. Jim they were so young."

Jim nodded, "Joanna?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

Leonard nodded, "I can't even begin to imagine," he said, disbelief filling his eyes.

Chris shook his head, "This is unbelievable. How Starfleet or any other Federation planet didn't pick up on this, is beyond me," he said.

"What do we know?" Leonard asked, as the Captain and Admiral scanned the room.

"U.S.S Corpus picked up the distress call as they dropped form warp near the planet. When they realized how bad it was, they started calling on any starship they could reach," said Chris, as Jim moved away from them. "Thank god we were close by. Any further and I don't think half of these people would've made it," he said.

Jim moved through the bio-beds, his eyes hitting each and every patient that occupied them. Memories of Tarsus IV flashed in his head, as he looked at the children. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to push them out. He continued his trek through sickbay, stopping every few minutes to take in his surroundings.

Finally, he reached bio-bed fourteen, and found his wife sitting in a chair next to it.

"Rose," he whispered, shaking her shoulder lightly.

"Hmm?" she moaned, her eyes opening slowly. "Jim?" she whispered, siting up.

"Let's get you to bed," he said, trying to pull her off the chair.

Rose blinked and lightly pushed him away, "No, I'm staying here," she stated, leaning back into the chair.

Jim frowned, "You can't sleep in a chair, Rose. And Bones doesn't have a free bed in here," he said, as she settled back.

"I'll be alright, love," she nodded, patting his hand. "I told Miranda I would stay in case she woke up."

"Who's Miranda?" he whispered, as Rose placed a finger to her lips.

"This is Miranda," she whispered, nodding her head to bio-bed fourteen.

Jim stepped away from his wife and moved closer to the bed, and saw that Miranda was a small child. She was dressed in a fresh set of clothes and her blonde hair was damp from the shower. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath, as she slept in what seemed to be a deep slumber.

"She's four and a half and has no idea what happened to her parents," Rose said quietly, as she watched Miranda. "I couldn't.. I couldn't leave her alone here, Jim," she started, her voice laced with tears.

Jim moved back to the chair and knelt down in front of his wife, wrapping his hand around hers.

"Shhh, it's going to be fine," he said, reaching up to push the lopsided ponytail away from her face. "She's going to be fine, Rose. She's got you looking out for her," he said, as she cried silently.

Rose lifted her head and looked at him, "Who would do such a terrible thing to a child?" she asked, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jim shook his head sadly, "I wish I knew, baby," he said, as she hiccupped.

Tossing her arms around his neck, Rose leaned forward into his arms and held him tightly. Wrapped up in trying to calm Rose down, Jim didn't hear Chris coming up to them.

"Here," he said, startling the couple at his sudden appearance.

Rose looked up at him while Jim turned around to look, spotting the folded up blanket in his arms.

"If you're going to stay here for the night, you'll need a blanket," said Chris. "It gets pretty chilly in here."

Jim stood up and took the blanket with a nod, before turning back to Rose. Unfolding the blanket, he draped it around her shoulders and over her legs. Once she was wrapped up to his liking, he knelt down next to her again.

"Do you want me to get you anything before I go back to the bridge?" he asked, as she settled against the back of the chair.

Rose shook her head, "No. If I need anything I can get it from the replicator in Len's office," she said.

Jim nodded, "I'll come back in the morning with breakfast and some clothes."

Rose nodded and turned her gaze to Chris, who stood awkwardly before them. She smiled softly at him and he returned the smile, nodding his head once.

"Thank you," Rose whispered, as she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"You're welcome, Rose. Get some sleep."

Jim stood up and bent down to kiss her, "I love you," he said softly, smoothing her hair back.

"Love you too," she whispered, as her eyes closed.

Taking a quick peek at Miranda, Jim and Chris headed out towards Christine's station. With orders to page him if anything went wrong, the two men headed back towards the turbo lifts and up to the bridge.


	28. Chapter 28

The next week went by in a blur, as Rose spent every waking hour with Miranda. Jim, Christopher and the others went back and forth with the Federation, trying to figure out how they'd missed a slave planet. They had just ended a conference call with Barnett and Federation lawyers, seeking no progress.

"God dammit!" Jim yelled, as soon as the screen when dark on the screen. "Something just isn't right!"

"Of course something isn't right, Jim. Several Federation ships just rescued over fifteen hundred people that disappeared from their homes and ships," Chris said, as he rubbed his hands over his tired face. "Everyone is trying to scramble up a list of survivors and figure out how to go forward with this."

Jim sighed and looked down at the list Leonard and Christine put together, the number of names decreasing as the days went on. Everyday Jim worried that he would find Miranda's name on the list of the dead, and felt an immense relief when it wasn't.

"How about you go down to medical and see how Rose is doing? She was there this morning when I went by to talk to McCoy."

He nodded, "Yeah, yeah I'll bring some lunch down for her and Miranda," he said, standing up from his chair.

Chris gave him a small smile, "She's taking a liking to her," he said.

Jim slipped his communicator to his belt and smiled, "Yeah," he said. "She's a sweet kid. She's warmed up to us pretty fast, despite everything. Her and Christine are swooning over her, making sure she has enough blankets and things to do. And she's even got Bones wrapped around her finger," he laughed.

"Any word on her family?" he asked.

Jim shook his head, "We've been trying to find them, but Nyota hasn't been able to make any contact" he said, looking down at his hands. "Rose thinks they were on the planet with her and died."

Chris shook his head, "Unbelievable," he murmured. "Four years old and her entire family is just ripped from her like that," he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Jim could only nod before excusing himself, insisting that Chris head down to his room to rest. Once he grabbed lunch from the mess hall, Jim took the lift up to medical and made his way in. Christine was at her station and gave him a smile, as he stopped by.

"Good lord, you could feed an army with all that food!" she said, her eyes wide.

"Take what you want! I brought lunch for you and the grump," he said, as Christine reached for the salad. "And I can't let my wife starve."

Christine shook her head, "She hasn't eaten a full meal in days," she said, following him towards the bio-bed. "I saw her giving her food to Miranda last night. She's persistent on making sure that girl survives."

He heard a giggle and turned his eyes to the scene before him, and he couldn't help but smile. Rose was sitting behind Miranda on the bio-bed, running a brush through her damp hair.

"How about a braid, hm? Or pigtails?" she asked, before tickling the girl in front of her.

Miranda let out a squeal, resting her back against Rose's chest. "A braid!" she exclaimed, as the damp tendrils bounced against her shoulders.

Rose nodded and quickly went to work, as Jim and Christine came over to them. Miranda looked up and smiled, as they approached the bed.

"Chrissy! Jim!"

Jim snorted, "Chrissy? How cute," he said, grinning at the blushing nurse.

Setting the tray down on the edge of the bio-bed, Jim moved up to give Rose a kiss, before ruffling Miranda's hair. "I brought you food," he said, nodding to the tray.

Rose looked at the mass amount of food before looking at her husband, "Are you trying to fatten me up? That's over six thousand calories right there," she said, eyeing burgers, fries and other greasy treats.

Jim grabbed a burger and took a huge bite, which made Miranda giggle. "Len is going to freak out when he sees that," Rose warned.

"Sees what?"

Leonard came striding into the room and saw the tray of food on the bed, "What in god's nam- Jim! Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack?" he snapped.

"Oh come on, Bones. A little bit of grease wont kill anyone!" Jim said, as he took another bite of his burger.

Leonard rolled his eyes, as Miranda looked up at him with wide eyes. "Mister Bones?" she asked quietly.

Leonard turned to look at her and his face relaxed, "What's wrong, darlin'?" he asked, moving over to her.

"Can I have that?" she asked, pointing to the paper carton of fries.

Jim snorted as Leonard struggled to maintain proper protocol of nutrition and a four year old's puppy eyes. With a sigh of defeat, he nodded.

"You can have 'em," he said, as Jim pumped a fist into the air. "But as soon as you start feelin' sick, we'll switch to something else," he said, as Jim moved around the room. "Don' wanna rush it," he said.

"Oh Lenny, you're so wrapped around her finger. I even bet you'll let her have ice cream later!" Rose said, as she smiled.

Leonard grumbled and glared his the Kirks, before snatching a burger off the tray. "I'll be in my office," he snapped, as he walked out.

Rose moved off the bio-bed and took Jim's burger, and watched as he set up lunch for Miranda. He took the food tray that was used for patients and a paper towel down, before laying the fries out. He then took a paper carton of ketchup and set it next to the fries.

"Do you want juice?" he asked, as he pushed the sleeves of Miranda's hospital gown up.

She nodded and Jim moved to the replicator and retrieved a glass of pomegranate and berry juice. Rose stood back and watched with a smile, as Jim hustled around the room, setting up Miranda's lunch.

"Now, remember what Bones told you," he said, as Miranda started eating. "If you start to feel funny you let us know," he said.

Miranda nodded as she slathered a fry in the ketchup and Jim turned to Christine, "Can you watch her for a moment?" he asked.

Christine nodded, "Sure," she said, pulling the chair over to the bio-bed. "I'll take my lunch in here."

With a nod, Jim turned to Rose and took her hand. "We need to talk," he said, before pulling her towards the door.

She nodded and told Miranda that they would be right back, before following her husband down the hall. They stepped into one of the supply closets, and locked the door behind them. Rose stood against the counter and took small bites from the half eaten burger, as Jim stood before her.

"Any progress on the search?" he asked, as she ate.

Rose shook her head, "No," she said, looking sad. "I really think they were with her, Jim."

He nodded, "Barnett suggested that we send in the information on the kids who lost their entire families. He's been in contact with the Federation's Department of Child Services," he said.

Rose nodded, looking down at the burger in her hands. "Oh.." she said softly.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

Rose looked up at him with surprise, "What?" she asked.

He sighed, "I know you, Rose. I can practically hear the gears moving in your head," he chuckled.

She sighed, "Jim.." she started, hesitating for a moment. "I think we should adopt her."

"Rose.." he started, before she cut him off.

"Think about it, Jim. She has no one to take her in! How can we just let her go off and move from home to home until someone decides to adopt her? How could we inflict more pain on her by sending her away, after showing her kindness and love?"

"Baby, it's going to be so hard to raise a child on a ship," he said, as she scoffed.

"We have like eight months left! And there are no plans on us being sent back out again for at least two years after we return! That's plenty of time to raise her and get her used to being in a stable home again before coming back out," she said.

Jim sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and leaned against the counter across from her. Setting the burger down, Rose took three long steps and stood before him.

"I want her," she pushed. "I want her so bad, Jim. If you can't agree and do this, then I'll do it on my own. And you know I will," she said.

He looked at her, "I know you would," he said, as she took his hands into hers.

"Remember when you told me that things happen for a reason? That we have to experience certain obstacles before meeting the finished product?" she asked.

He nodded and she continued, "I think we were supposed to find her. That maybe some type of god or whatever sent her to this ship and not the others."

"Even if we wanted to adopt her, they're going to take one look at my track record and deny us on the spot!" Jim exclaimed.

Rose sighed, "It's not like you're doing it on your own! You're a bloody Captain and you saved Earth and Christopher from a raging lunatic! And you got married during your five-year mission. I think your track record and mine really wont matter," she said.

Jim pondered on the idea and she sighed, "Jim, if we lose her I don't think I'll be able to deal with it. And I'm not saying this just so I can get my way," she said, as Jim shot her a look of doubt. "In the last week, I have fallen so in love with her. It wasn't until forty-eight hours after we saved her, that I knew she could be ours."

He reached up and pushed her hair back, before resting his hands on her shoulders. "Why do I get the feeling that if I don't give you an answer right away, that I'll get an email from FCS that you filed paperwork to adopt her on your own?" he asked.

Rose let out a chuckle, "I would," she said, nodding. "Jim, I really think we could do this. We can start a family and give her everything that our parents couldn't give us," she insisted.

Jim sighed, "I'll talk to Chris," he said. "He'll know how to go about this and who to contact to put in the paperwork."

Rose squealed and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she chanted, as he wrapped his arm around her.

She leaned back and looked up at him, "We can do this," she said.

Jim nodded, "I know. And she's a good kid, Rose. I've seen how you two interact with each other and anyone would be crazy to think that Miranda didn't have an ounce of love for you," he said.

She smiled, "She likes you too, Jim. She told me herself."

"Oh she did?" he asked, grinning.

Rose laughed, "She always asks when you're going to come down to see her. Everyone. Leonard, Christine, even me. When I asked her why she was so determined to have you come down to visit, she told me it was because you had pretty eyes and made her laugh," she said.

Jim gave her a nonchalant shrug, "I do have pretty eyes," he said.

She rolled her eyes, "I think she's starting to understand that you saved her life, too. She hears the others talk about how you're a hero and that they'll never forget that Captain Kirk saved them from death," she said quietly.

He sighed and kissed her forehead, "Lets go back out and see how she's holding up. Maybe we can get her to eat some more greasy food," he said, as they moved towards the door.

"God help us all if she takes on your eating habits," she said, as they stepped out into the hall. "I'll have to make sure she eats a healthy dinner tonight."

Jim chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Rose?"

"Yeah Jim?"

"I love you," he said, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

Rose smiled at him, "I love you, too," she replied.

He gave her a quick kiss and they resumed their walk back to Miranda's room.

"Maybe we could try and give her a sibling? She's gonna need interaction with children her own age," he said.


	29. Chapter 29

"Wait, you want to adopt her? Are you sure you two are even ready for kids?"

Shortly after Miranda finished her lunch, Rose read her a story before she went down for a nap. Once they cleaned up around her bio-bed, Jim and Rose met with Leonard and Christine in his office to talk.

"Bones, do you honestly think I can't take care of a child?" Jim asked, rolling his eyes.

Leonard stared at him, his eyebrow raised. "Jim, you can't even wash your own clothes," he said.

Rose snickered, "Len, he's a man. What do you expect?" she asked.

"I do my on laundry," he said, as she sighed.

"Yeah well.. that's because you don't have someone to do it for you!" she shot back. "Besides, I like doing our laundry. It keeps me busy when I'm not down here, listening to you bitch," she said, smiling.

Christine giggled and Leonard shot her a look, making her cough and sputter to a stop.

"If I didn't think Jim could do this, then I would've kept my mouth shut," Rose said, growing serious now. "But he can and it's our time now to start a family," she said.

Leonard sighed, "It's going to be hard though," he said, in all sincerity. "You're thinking this will be easy because she's four and not a screaming newborn." 

"We know that, Bones. She's going to have a lot of emotional issues and we get that. But we are going to give that girl so much love and attention, and hopefully it'll be enough to heal her," Jim said, as he took Rose's hand into his. "We can give her a life, guys. Give her everything our parents couldn't give us and in return, she'll bring joy and happiness into ours," he said.

Christine looked as if she were about to cry, while Leonard grumbled. "I never thought I'd hear you talk like this," he said. "And it's too early for me to even drink myself into an oblivion!"

…..

With best wishes and hugs from Christine, the couple went back to Jim's ready room and called for Christopher to join them. It took him five minutes to show up, as Rose ushered him into the room and over to a seat.

"What's going on?" he asked, as Rose and Jim sat across from him. "Why do I get the feeling that you're in trouble, Jim?" he asked, eyeing them both with worry.

"He's not in trouble, Chris. If he was the entire ship would know," Rose said, giggling.

Chris sighed, "I take it that it's a average occurrence?" he asked, as she nodded. "Lovely.." he muttered.

"We need your help with obtaining paperwork," Jim said. "Very important paperwork." 

Rose nodded, "Yeah, and we need it sent to someone who will read it ASAP!"

Chris looked at them as they nodded and groaned, "Just because I'm an Admiral now, doesn't mean you get to abuse me for the rank I pull. If you're planning on hacking into something or getting in trouble, you two can count me out!" he warned.

"But.." Rose started; looking shocked at how he reacted. "I don't know how to hack anything.." she said, looking upset now.

Jim sighed, "We need paperwork for FDCS and we need someone to review it as top-priority," he said.

Chris frowned, "Why do you want paperwork for child services?" he asked.

Rose and Jim looked at each other before Jim looked back at Chris, "We're going to adopt Miranda," he said.

The Admiral sat quietly watching them both, as they stared back at them. Rose squirmed in her seat, knowing how hard it was to even talk about children with him. Chris thought of how happy she was during the early stages of her pregnancy, before everything went to hell, and how excited she was to become a mother. And with out a doubt, he saw how happy she was with Miranda.

"Chris?" she said, watching him carefully.

Jim also looked a bit nervous as the man across from him sat quietly. He suddenly regretted asking him, instead of calling upon Barnett or another Admiral. He didn't even realize what he was asking for; when he remembered that Chris almost had a child of his own. With Rose. And now here they were, asking if he could help them adopt a child that they would raise. At that moment, Jim Kirk felt like a total asshole.

"If you can't help us.. we'd understand," he said, as Chris ran his hand over his face.

"I just can't believe how much you've grown up over the years, Kirk," he finally said.

"Huh?" It was the only thing Jim could manage to say, as Chris continued.

"I'll help you. But you need to give me your word that if anything should happen, you will not do something stupid. Just because I have the pull, doesn't mean they'll give you Miranda. They're going to request reports from your crewmembers and advisors at Starfleet. They'll want to know if you can provide a stable life for her and see that you have a home ready," he said, as they nodded.

"We can do that!" Rose said, nodding. "I've been looking at houses near the Academy, and I've narrowed it down to at least three," she said.

Jim frowned, "You didn't tell me you had it narrowed down!" he exclaimed as she shushed him.

"We'll talk about that later," she said, before looking back at Chris. "We have eight months left and _Enterprise _isn't scheduled to go back out for two years, after it's refitted and repaired. That is enough time to worry about the next step with our jobs and what we'll do when it's time to leave again," she said.

Chris nodded, "I'll try to keep your personal records out," he said, shooting a look at Jim. "But it would be better to be honest and show them. If FDCS found out that we hid those records, you're names would be blacklisted not only from their list, but every other adoption agency in the country."

Rose nodded, "So what do we do? How do we go about this? Is it like filling an application for a job?" she asked, as Chris reached over for a PADD.

He snorted, "It's much more complicated and requires a lot of questions and attaching documents," he said, sitting back in the seat. "So I hope that replicator makes some damn good coffee, because this will take a while."

Eight hours later, the application was finished and all documents were attached. Chris sighed off on it and sent it to a close friend that worked for FDCS, labeling it as an _urgent _matter. Afterwards, they ordered dinner to be delivered to the ready room and discussed the houses that Rose picked out.

"One has a pool that has one of those screens around it, along with a gate," she said. "That's something to think about, if we don't want to go to the beach. And it looks nice," she said.

Jim shrugged, "We just need something that's close to the Academy and to a school for Miranda," he said. "I also don't want it to be in a neighborhood where there's no kids around for her to play with."

'How far is this one from the Academy?" Chris asked.

"I think it's three blocks away from the East side. So it's far from the bars that you like to raid with Len," said Rose, as she looked at Jim.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Bars are so four years ago. I like English pubs and I could settle for a coffee shop," he said.

Chris snorted, "Oh my god. Who are you and what have you done to the real Jim Kirk?" he asked.

Rose laughed, "I'm telling you, the shit that comes out of his mouth! Sometimes I wonder if Len gave him some faulty hypospray and it screwed up some brain activity," she said.

While Chris and Rose laughed, Jim glared at them. "You know," he started, as he turned to Rose. "You're a mean wife. I've never met a wife who was so mean to her husband before."

"I'm you're only wife!" she scoffed.

Jim shrugged, "That's true. Probably the only one I'll ever have, too," he said, reaching for his drink.

Rose's eyes went wide and Chris chuckled, "Probably? Oh you just wait, James. When we get home I'm going to lock you in the closet," she warned.

"While this banter is endearing," Chris said, interrupting them. "When you two get interviewed, try to keep it G-rated. They wont take kindly to threats of locking one another in a closet," he said.

Jim snorted, "You know what's funny? She would do it too. She's done it before," he said.

The laughter the filled the room could be heard all the way down to the turbo lifts. As the three adults sat and ate their dinner, talking of potential homes for a potential daughter, it felt as nothing changed between them. And for once, it felt good to laugh and be in good company with an old friend.

…..

The next day, Rose made her way back into medical after a quick shower. Miranda was up and eating her breakfast, while Leonard signed off on a medical chart at Christine's station.

"Hey, I have to talk to you," Leonard said, as Rose stood next to him.

"Sure, what's up?" she asked, as she checked through the PADD's that were waiting to be signed off on.

Leonard looked at her, "I wanted to know," he started, as she read through a file for one of the survivors. "Since we're moving them into empty rooms on the ship to make space here, I wanted to know what I should tell Spock about Miranda," he said.

Rose frowned, "Spock? What does he need to know about Miranda?" she asked.

"Along with Jim and Chris, Spock is helping with room assignments. Now I don't know if they told him your plans about adopting her, but he might put her into a room with someone else," he said.

"He can't!" she exclaimed.

Leonard patted her shoulder, "Then you need to figure out what you want me to tell him. I'm sendin' copies of these files to him, so he can get all the names. I left her file in my office for you to go over," he said.

Rose nodded, "Ok, thanks," she said, as he started to walk away. "Hey Len?"

He stopped and turned to look at her, "Do you think it would be a good idea to move her in with us? I mean, we'd have to fix up the quarters that are attached to our room and childproof it…but do you think she'd be ready for that?" she asked.

Leonard shrugged, "I don't see why not. She's good with you two and I don't think she would like livin' with anyone else," he said, as she nodded. "How about you call Jim down here and talk to him? Then you two can talk to Miranda about it and see what she says."

Rose nodded and smiled, "You're a good friend, Leonard McCoy. We'd be lost without you," she said.

For a moment, the good doctor blushed. Then he shook it off, "Don't think you're sweet talkin' is gonna get you off the hook. You got work to do and patients to see. I can't have you pampering my niece twenty-four seven!" he warned, before moving out to work.

Rose laughed, "How'd you know that we were going to ask you to be the potential god-father!" she shouted, as he grumbled.

With a snort, Rose pulled her communicator off her belt and dialed Jim.

"Kirk here," he answered.

"Hey, love. Do you think you have a minute to spare? I need you here in medical, it's important," she said.

"Yeah I can be there in five. Is everything okay? Is Miranda okay? Are you okay?" he asked, growing worried.

She laughed, "We're fine. She's eating breakfast and I'm attending patients. But I need you down here now."

"Five minutes. Love you," he said, before ending the call.


	30. Chapter 30

After coming to a conclusion of their situation, Rose and Jim found themselves at Miranda's bedside in medical. They couldn't help but smile and feel their hearts swell with love, as the child smiled at them.

"Hey kiddo," said Jim, as he lightly ruffled Miranda's hair.

The child's laughter filled the room, to which some patients turned to look or acknowledge. Rose smiled as she watched her husband interact with her, answering her questions as she pointed to the Starfleet symbol on his gold command shirt.

"Miranda, Rose and I would like to ask you something," he said, as the little girl climbed onto his lap.

Miranda wrapped her little arms around him, and looked up at him. "You do?" she asked, turning to look at Rose.

Rose nodded, "We do," she confirmed.

Jim glanced at her before turning his attention back to Miranda, "We were wondering," he said, as Miranda looked up at him. "If you would like to live with us?"

Miranda was quiet and Rose shot Jim a frantic look, to which his shook his head to. Rose watched as Miranda sat on Jim's lap, in total silence. The sudden regret of asking began to fill her heart, and she began to wonder if Miranda even wanted to be with them.

"Can Mister Bones and Chrissy come visit us?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Jim blinked, "O-of course they can!" he said. "Mister Bones is my best friend and he always comes by to visit us." 

"Okay! I wanna live with you and Miss Rose," she said, nodding her head fiercely.

Rose let out a breath, unaware that she was holding it in and let out a weak laugh. "Thank god," she said softly, as Jim tickled Miranda.

"We're going to have so much fun! You'll have your own room and when I'm not working we can watch holo-vids and play games," he said, as Miranda giggled.

They played a little longer before Christine came in with lunch, and Jim had to return to the bridge.

"I'll be back before dinner time to come get you," said Rose, as she and Christine put her lunch together.

Miranda nodded, "Will I have dinner with you and Jim?" she asked.

Rose nodded, "Every night," she said.

Once Christine took over, Rose and Jim made their way out of medical and to the turbo lifts.

"That wasn't so bad," said Jim, as Rose collapsed against him

"I was so afraid she'd say no," she mumbled, as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Jim kissed her forehead, "For a moment there, I thought she would," he admitted. "But now we have her close to us and hopefully it will be an easy transition for her to be with us all the time," he said, as the turbo lift stopped on their floor.

"I hope so," she said, pulling away. "Well, I'll call Scotty and see if he can come up to fix the door that connects our bedroom to the other suite. And I'll start cleaning up and childproofing everything."

"I'll come up during lunch with food and helping hands," he said, winking.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Your definition of helping hands, is quite different from mine," she said, dryly. "Would it be all right if I ordered some things to arrive by transport?" she asked.

Jim sighed, "What kind of things?" he asked, as Rose gave him a sheepish smile.

"Well, she's going to need clothes. And some toys to play with," she said, shrugging.

"Everything's in the top drawer in my desk. The key is in my nightstand," he said, as Rose clapped her hands together in excitement. "Do not go crazy, Rose. Just order a few things for her to wear now and until we return home," he said.

Rose nodded, "Of course, darling. Whatever you say," she grinned, giving him a quick kiss.

Jim watched as she nearly skipped down the hallway, before setting the lift to the bridge. "Moving in today and she's already taking my money," he mumbled, shaking his head.

….

Several hours later, Rose was in the process of putting new sheets and pillowcases down on the bed, when Jim arrived with lunch. He stood in the doorway of the extended suite, and watched as Rose moved about, making sure everything was neat and ready for the newest addition.

"You've been busy," he said, as she placed a quilt over the standard comforter.

Rose yelped and spun around, "Shit, you scared me!" she exclaimed, as he made his way over to her.

"Sorry," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. "But really, this looks good," he said.

"It's nowhere near what her room will look like when we get a house," she said, looking around at the standard white walls. "I'm going to paint her room in whatever color she wants and she'll have so many toys and games to play with. And pictures of her family, to show her that she is loved by so many."

Jim smiled, "Don't get to carried away, Rose. You remember what Pike said," he warned.

Rose shook her head, "I wont let the possibility of not getting her get to me, Jim. Miranda's going to be our child and I know it," she said.

He kissed her forehead, "I know," he said. "I just want you to be prepared."

She shrugged, "We can worry about it when we reach that point," she said. "But for now, I want to focus on establishing a relationship with her," she finished with a sigh, looking up at him.

He smiled, "You're going to be a wonderful mother," he said. "To Miranda and to as many children as we have."

She grinned, "_We _are going to be amazing parents, Jim. There's no doubt about it."

….

"Are you ready to see your new room?" Rose asked, as she held Miranda in her arms.

She nodded, blonde curls bouncing as she did so, "Do I have to share my room with another little girl?" she asked, as Jim typed in his passcode.

"No, sweetie. This is going to be your room," he said, as the door swished open.

Rose and Miranda looked at each other, and Rose smiled. "Ready to see?" she asked.

Jim stepped aside, allowing Rose to carry Miranda inside. He stepped in after her, shutting the door and ordering the lights on.

"Welcome home, Miranda," Rose said softly, as the little girl looked around at her new room.

Carefully, Rose placed her down on the floor and stepped back into Jim's arms, watching as Miranda slowly stepped forward to look at her surroundings. The extra suite attached to the Captain's quarters, was simply a spare bedroom. It housed a bed and a few pieces of furniture, along with a bathroom. The only way to gain access to the room, was through the hall or the master bedroom. Rose and Scotty managed to childproof as much as they could, with limited resources from Engineering, in hopes that Miranda wouldn't hurt herself on sharp corners or any electrical wires.

"This door over here leads to our room," Jim said, pointing to the open door. "We'll keep it open at night to hear you if you need us," he said.

Rose moved forward and stood next to Miranda, "Do you like it?" she asked.

Miranda looked up at her and nodded, "Can I see your room?" she asked.

She smiled, "Of course, and then we have dinner," she said, as Miranda ran across the room.

Rose looked back at Jim laughed, before going after Miranda. After showing her around the entire living space, Jim sat at the table with Miranda, while Rose put dinner together. She watched while cooking, as Jim interacted with the little girl, amazed at how well he was doing. Jim Kirk was a natural when it came to children, and it made Rose weak in the knees and her heart flutter.

"Tomorrow I'll see if we can get you some clothes to wear for the rest of the week, before we can get you some that fit," he said, as he rolled the sleeves up of the makeshift dress that Christine put together. "You can borrow one of my shirts for bed and then tomorrow you'll have something clean to wear."

Miranda's eyes went wide, "Really?" she asked, in awe.

Jim nodded, "Anything for you, kiddo."

Dinner went smoothly, as Miranda ate as much as she could before she was full. Afterwards, Jim did the dishes while Rose gave her a bath and got her ready for bed. True to his word, Jim pulled out an old shirt from his Academy days, and placed it on Miranda's bed, before heading back into his own bedroom. He heard the hair dryer and the giggles, before the muffled chatter through the closed door. A half hour later, Jim made his way back into the room and found his wife lounging across the bed with Miranda, reading her a story from a PADD.

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts!" said Dobby, as he clutched his dirty smock," Rose read, mimicking the high pitch whine of the house elf.

Miranda giggled, "You sound funny when you do that," she said.

Rose giggled, "Oh really?" she asked, as Miranda nodded. "Would it be funny if I talk like that all the time!" she asked, in the same voice, reaching over to tickle her.

Jim chuckled at the sight before him, as Miranda giggled and squealed, as Rose tickled her. "How come I never heard this voice before?" he asked, stepping away from the doorway.

Rose sat up and laughed, "Because you've never asked me to read to you," she said, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I only use special voices when I read to someone."

He shook his head, "What a pity," he sighed, before turning his attention to Miranda. "Ready for bed?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I wanna stay up!" she whined, clutching a bear to her chest. "Please Jim? Can we play a game?" she asked.

"It's getting late, little lady. You've had a long day and we can always play a game tomorrow morning before I return to work," he said, as she pouted.

"Promise?" she asked, holding the bear tighter to her body.

Jim nodded, "I promise. We can play tomorrow after breakfast and then Rose will bring you up to the bridge to meet the rest of our friends," he said.

Miranda yawned and Rose giggled, "I think that's code for bedtime," she said, getting up off the bed.

Rose pulled the blankets up as Miranda wiggled further down the bed, laying her head down on the pillows. Tucking her in, Rose helped her lay the bear next to her on the pillow.

"Warm enough?" she asked, as she tucked the blanket around her.

Miranda nodded and looked up at them through heavy-lidded eyes, "I see you tomorrow?" she asked, as her eyes drooped.

Jim nodded, "I'll come wake you up for breakfast," he said, as she nodded.

Rose leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight, darling," she whispered., before stepping back.

Jim reached out and ran his hand down the back of her head, smoothing her hair away from her face, before stepping back. He ordered the lights out, and the nightlight on the wall went on automatically. Quietly, they tip-toed to the door, and took one last look at the sleeping child, illuminated by the nightlight, before heading further into their room.

"Scotty thought the nightlight would be good for her, just in case she wakes up in the middle of the night," she whispered, as she pulled her uniform over her head.

"Smart man," he replied, tossing his shirt into the hamper. "I'm going to take a quick shower," he said, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Rose changed into one of Jim's shirts and climbed into bed, pulling the cocoon of blankets up over her legs. A few minutes later, Jim came out of the bathroom and quickly got dressed for bed and joined her.

"Where did she get the bear from?" he asked, as they settled down against the pillows.

"Lights out," Rose said softly. "It was mine," she whispered, as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. "My mother gave it to me when I was a baby and I had it ever since."

Jim yawned, "I didn't know you had it," he said.

Rose shrugged, "I thought it would be weird for a twenty-seven year old woman, to walk around with an old bear."

"I think it's cute.." he mumbled. "Sexy even."

She snorted, "Chill out with the sexy talk, Jim. We have a kid in the other room," she warned, as he snuggled against her.

He kissed her shoulder, "Did she name the bear?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "Well, I originally named it Patches, but she added onto that," she said.

Jim closed his eyes and sighed, "That's good. What did she add?" he asked, as she yawned.

"She's decided to call him Jim Patches. Because its blue eyes remind her of you," she said, smiling in the dark.

Jim felt an overwhelming wave of emotion and hugged her tightly in the dark, burying his face into her neck. Rose patted his hands, which rested on her stomach and didn't say a word.


	31. Chapter 31

The next several weeks went by in a flash, as Jim and Rose adapted to living with a child. Their once clean quarters were now littered with toys, clothes and other household items. PADDs were scattered about in the office and on the tables, while a toy laid here and there. Rose spent less time in medical, opting to care for Miranda nearly full-time, and found herself exhausted by dinnertime. The laundry sat in the corner of the bedroom, abandoned as the days went by.

While Jim, Spock and Chris continued their work on the follow-up of the incident that brought Miranda to them, FDCS finally made contact about their application. Rose spoke to a caseworker twice, before Jim took over on all the calls. The caseworker seemed pleased with the progress they were making- teaching Miranda how to read and write, along with proper table manners and how to converse with other adults. But no matter how many positive interviews FDCS received, it didn't guarantee that the Kirks' would get custody once they'd return to Earth.

"Miranda, it's almost time for bed," Rose called out from her own bedroom.

"No! Pasha and I are watching a movie!" the little girl whined, before a stream of Russian filled the room.

"Nyte Miranda," the navigator said. "If Miss Rose says it's time for bed, you go to bed. You need your rest."

Once Miranda was introduced to the bridge crew, she became instantly attached to Pavel, Sulu and Nyota. While she liked her visits with Leonard and Christine, Miranda couldn't wait for her "Pasha" to come by once a week for movie night. And with the sudden company to the room, Rose slowly began to regain her daily chores and clean the mess.

"But Pashaaaaa! I have to wait until another day to see you! Mommy says you're always so busy with Daddy!"

Rose dropped the pile of PADDs that were in her hands, unmoved as they slammed against her bare feet. She heard Pavel trying to diffuse the situation, before a possible temper tantrum came about. But Rose couldn't think of anything except the fact that Miranda had called her "Mommy" and Jim "Daddy".

"Rose." 

She quickly turned around and found Pavel standing in the doorway that separated the bedrooms.

"Y-yes?" Is she giving you a hard time?" she asked.

Pavel glanced at the PADDs on the floor and shook his head, "Nyte, not really," he said, frowning. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Rose nodded, "Yes," she said, before bending down to clean the mess up. "It's been a hassle trying to clean all this up." 

Pavel watched as she scrambled all the PADDs into her arms, before depositing them on the bed. Rose sighed and scooped up the laundry basked and turned to look at him.

"Could you put the movie on for her? I'll just drop this off down the hall so Jim has some clean clothes, and when I come back you can go if you want," she said.

"It's fine. I can stay with her until movie is over, da?" he asked, nodding. "Vould it be good if I get ice cream from the replicator?"

Rose nodded, "Ice cream is fine, Pavel. Just not too much," she said.

Pavel nodded and moved away from the door and back into Miranda's room, "Okay. One movie and bed, Miranda," the teen said, as Miranda cheered.

…

By 0100, Miranda was long gone in dreamland after a movie and ice cream. Pavel left shortly after 2300, with a promise to have lunch in the mess with them as long as he brought Hikaru along. Rose put in a rush for the laundry and had it back shortly after Miranda fell asleep, and put away in the closets.

The door chime announced Jim's arrival after a long day on the bridge, as it swished open.

"Goodnight, Mr. Spock," Jim said, before the door closed behind him.

Rose sat in the dark on the sofa, listening as Jim took off his boots and sighed in pleasure as his feet became free from the restricting leather.

"Fucking A-man," he mumbled, as he shuffled into the kitchenette.

Rose could hear him trying to search for a snack quietly, cursing as a box fell to the floor.

"Lights ten percent," he whispered softly, as he made his way over to the couch.

With just enough light to show her appearance, Jim almost tossed the box of Starfleet regulated crackers at her.

"Shit! Rose!" he yelped, as she looked up at him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Waiting for you," she said quietly, as he set the box down on the coffee table.

Jim yawned, "It's late, baby. I thought you'd be asleep by now," he said, as she crawled across the couch and onto his lap.

Rose shrugged, "I was putting laundry away and cleaning up," she said, as she straddled his lap.

"Really? We have clean clothes?" he asked with a smirk, looking at her mismatched sleep attire.

Rose wrapped her arms around him tightly, squeezing him with her whole body as she sat on him. Jim gripped her tightly as she clung to him, rubbing her back slowly.

"I missed you," he said softly, as she breathed in the smell of bad replicator food and his musky scent. "I know, I smell bad," he chuckled.

Instead of getting a laugh in return, Jim received a sob. Frowning, he quickly peeled her arms from around his neck and held her back to look at her. When he saw the tears on her face, he became alert and worried.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Did FDCS call with bad news? Are you sick? Is Miranda sick?" he asked, rattling off question after question.

Rose quickly shook her head, "No, everything's fine," she said, covering her mouth as she sobbed.

Jim reached up and brushed her tears off her cheeks and pushed her hair away from her face, "Why are you crying?" he asked.

"When Pavel was here for his weekly movie night with Miranda.." she started, letting out a shaky sigh. "She said something that shocked me."

"What did she say?"

Rose gave him a watery smile, "She called us her Mommy and Daddy."

Jim's eyes went wide, "What? She did?" he asked, as Rose nodded.

"Yeah. And it sounded so natural from her," she said, cupping his cheek in her hand. "It sounded so real, Jim."

The two laughed quietly as Jim pulled her down for a kiss, "I love you," he said, as he moved her down onto the sofa. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

….

"Bones, I think we should tell her."

Rose groaned and shifted under the blankets, before cracking her eye open. She watched as Jim paced back and forth at the edge of their bed, dressed only in a pair of sweatpants. She then looked at the door to Miranda's room and saw that it was partially open.

Jim turned to look at her and smiled, as Leonard continued talking.

"Jim I think you should wait! What if you get her hopes up and they don't give her to you?"

Rose sat up slowly, clutching the sheet to her chest, and quickly climbed out of bed. She scooped up her clothes and quickly pulled them back on, before sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Bones, we're telling her. Miranda's been with us for almost three months! She told Checkers that we're Mommy and Daddy last night," he said.

The line was silent for moment before Leonard replied, "Holy shit."

Jim cracked a goofy smile, and Rose giggled. Ever since she told him what Miranda had said, the smile graced his face for the rest of the evening. Had she not fallen asleep before him, she most likely would've witnessed him sleeping with said smile.

"Yeah, so that's code for having the talk. Now, I'll call you later to let you know how it goes. Kirk out," he said quickly, before ending the call.

Jim tossed the communicator down on the bed, and lightly tackled Rose onto the mattress and nuzzled her neck. "Good Morning, Mommy," he said, as he nipped at her neck.

Rose squealed, "Good Morning, Daddy," she replied, giggling as he continued his attack on her neck. "Jimmmmm, you're going to leave marks!" she warned.

"So? Maybe everyone will know that you're mine and their Captain is keeping his wife really happy," he grinned.

"You are so cocky, darling," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Mmhmm, but you love it when I'm cocky," he said. "And you love my c-" he started, before the door to the other room opened.

The adults turned their heads and looked to the doorway, startled as Miranda came into view.

"Hi, Babydoll," Jim said, as Miranda rubbed her eyes.

"I'm hungry," she whined, clutching the bear in her other arm.

Rose snorted, "She's certainly picked up your eating habits," she mocked, pushing Jim off to the side.

"Come here, Miranda bear," Jim said, as he held out his hand.

Miranda made her way over to the bed, squealing as Jim pulled her up and laid her between him and Rose. Wrapping his arms around her, Jim hugged her against him and kissed her head.

"We can have breakfast in a few minutes," he said, as Rose settled onto her side. "But Rose and I have to talk to you about something important," he said.

The little girl nodded, "Am I in trouble?" she asked, as Jim Patches sat on the mattress next to her.

Rose shook her head, "No, you're not in trouble," she said. "But we need to tell you something."

Jim sat up and turned around on the bed to look at Miranda, "We love having you living here with us," he started. "Do you like living with us?" he asked.

Miranda nodded, "Yes! I like my bed and my toys!" she said, with a smile. "And I love you and Mommy!"

Rose let out a startled gasp, quickly covering her mouth as Miranda turned to look at her.

"And we love you, Miranda," Jim said, as he glanced at his wife. "Which is why Rose and I would like to adopt you."

Miranda frowned, "What's a-a-popped?" she asked.

Jim chuckled, "Adopt," he corrected her, as she looked down at her bear. "It means that Rose and I would legally be your parents. And you would be our daughter."

"And you would live with us and we'd take care of you until you become a grown up," Rose said, finally finding her voice.

"All three of us would be a family, kiddo. You, Me and Rose," he said.

"Even Jim Patches?" Miranda asked, hugging the bear to her chest.

Jim chuckled and nodded, "Even Jim Patches," he said.

Miranda nodded, "Okay!"

Rose blinked, "Okay?" she asked, as Miranda pulled at her nightgown. "So you want to live with us?" she asked.

"Mommy, I already live with you!"

Jim chuckled at Rose's expression, "I take that as a yes!" he grinned, pumping a fist into the air.

He then pulled Miranda into his lap and smothered her with kisses, "You're going to be a happy little girl," he said, as she giggled. "I'll make sure you have a big room and lots of toys and we can get a puppy!" he said.

Rose laughed, "Let's worry about getting a house and living on Earth again before getting a dog," she said.

"Or maybe a cat? Do you like cats?" Jim asked, as Miranda shrugged.

Pulling herself off the bed, Rose made her way to the door. "I'll start on breakfast," she announced, though Jim was too busy with Miranda to hear her.

…..

"You wanted to see me?"

Chris looked up from the PADD in his hands and smiled, "Rose," he greeted, pulling the glasses off.

Rose stepped into the conference room and pulled the chair out from across him, "You still wear glasses?" she asked, as she sat down.

He shrugged, "I think they make me look more serious," he said, as she laughed. "Gives me character as the nurses would say."

"They do," she said, before falling silent. "So, what's up? You said in your message that it was urgent?" she asked.

Chris nodded, "I got a call from FDCS this morning," he said slowly, keeping his eyes on Rose.

She nodded, "Oh..I see," she said, glancing down at her lap. "Do they need us to send anymore paperwork?" she asked.

"No, they said the paperwork we sent them was sufficient for now," he said, as the redhead nodded. "Before we get to what FDCS said.. how are things with Miranda?" he asked.

Rose smiled at Miranda's name, "Very good! She's grasping the idea of us wanting to adopt her and she's managed to give Spock a slight heart attack when she called Jim "Daddy" the other day on the bridge," she laughed.

Chris nodded, "That's good! Not the fact that Spock almost had a heart attack," he said with a chuckle. "But it's good that she's getting comfortable around you and Jim and the rest of the bridge crew," he said.

She nodded, "She's a good girl, Chris. We were so worried that she wouldn't want to stay with us," she said.

"Well, it's good that she wants to be with you two. FDCS takes that into account when they review cases like this," he said.

Rose nodded and sighed, "What did they want, Chris? It has to be something big, if you called me down here so quickly," she said.

The Admiral sighed, "FDCS is really considering the idea of giving custody of Miranda to you and Jim," he started, as Rose's eyes went wide.

"Really? Oh my go-" she started, before Chris held his hand up to stop her.

"But.." he sighed. "They're concerned about one thing. One really big thing."

Rose nodded, "Okay. What? If it's about the house situation, Jim and I already sent the paperwork to the relator about a house. We should know by the end of the week," she said.

Chris nodded, "That's good, Rose. But that's not what they are worried about," he said.

"What then?" she asked.

"They are worried about what will happen with Miranda once the _Enterprise _is set to return to space. Now, I know you'll be off for two years as the ship is being refitted and updated. But FDCS needs to know what you and Jim are planning to do once it's time to return to work. They're taking extra precaution with your case, since Jim is the Captain," he said.

Rose nodded slowly but remained silent as he continued, "We've had children before on starships- either brought on by parents or born during missions. But with Miranda coming from a slave planet and having no legal guardians, it's different. They need to know that she'll have someone with her at all times, as well as a proper education and basic necessities. Her case is very complicated."

"So they want one of us to quit," she said.

Chris shook his head, "I don't know exactly what they want, Rose," he admitted, scratching his head. "But I do know that they want you two to have another option, when it comes to Miranda and her upbringing," he said. "They're worried that she wont have anyone close to her age to communicate with. That with what she went through, Miranda would become only comfortable around adults and not have a fulfilling life on a starship, than she would on Earth."

Rose nodded, "Oh, I see," she said.

"I'll put in my opinion about it. I think she would be fine either here or in San Francisco. But ultimately, it's up to them on what they think is right for her," he said.

"Chris, I understand," she said, standing up from the chair. "But I think I know what my answer will be fore them. If it comes to it, I'll request a leave of absence."


	32. Chapter 32

"Bones, do you realize that Rose and I have been married for almost four months?" Jim asked, as Miranda ran around her room with a her bear.

Leonard sat on the sofa, keeping his eye on the child, as Jim worked on a PADD. "Feels more like six years," he said.

Jim chuckled, "More like ten," he shot back. "Ah! There we go!"

"What the hell are you doing with that thing?" Leonard asked, tearing his gaze away from Miranda and placing it onto his friend.

"I am putting educational stuff on here for Miranda," Jim said, as he held the PADD up to show him. "Rose is trying to teach her how to read, and I figured a little math and science wouldn't hurt."

Leonard snorted, "Jim, she's not even five. I think reading is enough," he said, as the younger man pouted.

"Excuse me for wanting my kid to be ten times smarter than me."

"Daddy!" Miranda exclaimed, as she ran into him.

"Oof!" Jim grunted, as he fell back onto the floor, taking Miranda down with him. "Ya killing me kid!" he grunted, as she hugged him tightly.

"I have to go potty!" she exclaimed, as Jim sat up with her.

Leonard snorted as Jim looked at her with a frown, "O-kay? Go use the potty," he said.

Miranda stood still, "I don't know how to."

"What? Didn't mommy show you?" he asked, glancing at Leonard.

Miranda nodded, "Yeah, but she stayed with me until I was done."

Leonard sighed, "Kid, she's potty trainin'. Rose stays with her to make sure she goes and knows how to clean up and flush the toilet," he said. He then lowered his voice to continue, "She's still adaptin' to civilization."

Jim nodded, "Right…" he said. "Lets get you on the potty and then we can watch a movie!"

Getting up, Jim took Miranda by the hand and led her to the small bathroom in her suite.

"Good luck," Leonard said with a chuckle, as the younger man glared at him.

….

Rose dropped her PADD onto the table near the door and kicked off her boots, sighing as her sock clad feet hit the carpet. Reaching up, she pulled the hairpin out and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Finally," she muttered, making her way across the living room and towards the bedroom. "Jim? I'm home."

She made her way into the bedroom and stopped, staring at the sight before her. Curled up on his side of the bed, Jim laid sprawled out on his back with his arm thrown over his face. Curled up next to him, Miranda clutched her bear to her chest with one hand and clutched the front of Jim's shirt with the other. Both were out cold and completely adorable.

Rose quietly grabbed her pajamas and tiptoed into the bathroom to change and wash up, before making her way over to the bed. She stood quietly at Jim's bedside, watching as both he and Miranda slept quietly. With a small smile, Rose slowly pulled the heavy quilt up and over them, keeping them sheltered from the cool air.

"Lights off," she whispered, as she made her way around the bed.

Slowly, Rose settled down on the mattress and pulled the sheet and other half of the quilt over her, before snuggling down. It was only mid-afternoon and a nap would most likely be disastrous when bedtime came around. But knowing Jim, he most likely tired Miranda out all morning with games and mischievous behavior that Jim knew best.

Her talk with Chris could wait, as she closed her eyes.

…

Sure enough the nap proved to be a disaster, as Miranda woke up crabby along with an equally crabby Jim. Opting to avoid embarrassment and a public temper tantrum, Rose fired up some food from the replicator and managed to get a few bites into Miranda. Bedtime proved to be even more difficult, as Miranda refused to stay in her bed.

"Dammit," Rose hissed, as Miranda went running from her room to the next. "Miranda!" she shouted, ready to run after her.

"Come on, Baby Doll."

Jim came out from their bedroom with Miranda in his arms, "It's time for bed," he told her.

Miranda shook her head, "NO! I wanna stay up with you!" she whined, as Jim set her down on the bed. "I wanna see the charts with the dots!"

Rose scooped up the scattered toys around the bed, and placed them into the toy bucket near the wall. Jim pulled the blankets up over Miranda and sat down next to her.

"Tomorrow," he said, as she pouted. "You need to sleep. Mommy and I need to work."

Jim caught Rose's eye and smirked as she shook her head, moving to lock up for the night.

"But I already sleep!" she whined, as Jim got up.

"Yes, but you need more sleep. I need you to be good, because tomorrow I'm taking you to work with me," he said.

This quickly made the young girl go silent, as she plopped her head down onto the pillow and closed her eyes. Jim chuckled at the sight, leaning over her to kiss her head.

"Goodnight," he said, softly.

As Jim made his way to the doorway of their bedroom, Rose gave Miranda a quick kiss and turned the nightlight on for her. Once the rest of the lights went out, Rose and Jim disappeared into their own room, closing the door halfway for privacy.

"Work?" Rose asked, as Jim pulled her down onto their bed. "More like, "I need to fuck my wife ten ways to Sunday," Seriously Jim, you're getting more and more weak with your coding. And your timing is awful!" she said.

"Why? Is it that time of the month?" he asked, making a face.

Rose sighed, "No, but I'm bloody exhausted. Leonard is bitching about my "half-assed" work as he puts it, and I'm trying to potty train and educate Miranda. I don't even want to work anymore in medical," she groaned, burying her face into Jim's neck.

He chuckled, "Why? Too tired to snap at patients?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"I talked to Chris today," she said, changing the subject. "FDCS contacted him about our case."

Jim stiffened next to her, "Oh? What'd they say?" he asked.

"They're really considering on giving us Miranda," she said, lifting her head up to look at him.

He smiled, "Get outta here! Really?" he asked, as if Christmas and his birthday came early.

She nodded, "Yeah," she said softly. "But they have one concern about our living situation."

"We live on a ship that's in space," he said with a frown. "What's so difficult for them to understand about that?" he asked.

Rose rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, "Jim, they're worried that Miranda wont be able to socialize with people her own age. And there's the fact that we have dangerous jobs," she said.

Jim sighed, "What the fuck do they expect us to do? Quit? Become ordinary people with typical nine to five jobs?" he snapped. "I can't do that, Rose. When I took over for Chris, I promised the Federation that I'd steer this ship and it's crew."

"I know that Jim! You forget that I too made a bloody promise to them as well!" she hissed. "But things change, Jim! We got married and we're trying to start a family."

Fisting at his hair, Jim pulled himself up and rested his elbows on his knees. Rose watched him and shook her head, "You're regretting it now. Aren't you?" she asked.

Jim's head snapped back, his eyes wide and his mouth open. "What? No!" he yelped, turning around to face her fully. "I don't regret anything!"

"Then try to understand it, Jim. They want to make sure that she's going to be safe and that she'll be able to move on from what's happened to her. We can't raise her on a ship with a bunch of adults, most of them reckless to begin with."

"So what do you want to do? Do you want me to step down?" he asked.

Rose shook her head, "No. I can't make you do that and I wont let you," she said. "This is your dream, Jim. You've worked so hard and I could never let you give it up."

Reaching out, Jim cupped her face in his hands. "You are part of that dream too, Rose. You, Miranda and whatever the future brings."

"I know," she said quietly, reaching up to lay her hand upon his. "Which is why I'll leave if necessary."

Jim closed his eyes, "You don't have to do that, Rose. We can work around this and have it so that we can be up here together. All three of us," he said.

Rose shook her head, "Jim, I can put in the leave of absence and always have it removed from my record," she said. "We have two years roughly, which gives us plenty of time to think about it."

"I don't want you two living alone," he said, as Rose reached up to cover his mouth with her hand.

"Who knows what will happen in two years, Jim. Miranda would be seven or eight, depending on when it's time to leave. Maybe we'll have a baby on our time off," she said, making Jim smile a bit. "Chris already said that he would talk to FDCS and put in his support of having Miranda onboard. But we need a backup plan in case his word isn't enough."

Jim sighed, "Fine," he mumbled, lying back against the cold mattress. "But I'll step down if it comes to that. I don't want you living alone with Miranda or any children of ours for that matter."

Rose laid back down next to him, "I guess I can't argue with you on that, huh?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Fine."

A tense silence fell between the couple as they laid there on the bed, the sound of the engines purring throughout the foundation of the ship.

"You still wanna have sex?" Rose asked, yawning.

"Five minutes?" he replied, yawning as well.

"Sure. Five min-" she trailed off, eyes sliding shut.

…

"I wanna get her a ring," Jim said, as he made his way into Leonard's office the next morning.

"Good Morning to you too, Jim," he snapped. "Ever hear of knockin?"

Jim threw himself down on the sofa, "Why? S'not like you and Chrissy are doing anything in here," he grinned.

Leonard glared at him, "I think you're scheduled for a hypo today," he said, scanning his itinerary for the day.

"Nope. Rose has me covered," he grinned, as Leonard rolled his eyes.

"What do you want? I'm busy, Jim!"

Jim sighed, "Like I said, I want to get Rose a ring!"

"But you're already married!"

"Yes, but I never put a ring on her finger. Shit, even I don't have a ring!" Jim exclaimed, pointing to his bare finger.

Leonard sighed, "Don't you have other things to worry about? Like finding out how nearly half a million lives were enslaved on a planet under Starfleet's nose?" he asked, growling at the kid across from him.

"We got a report early this morning about a rouge ship, Bones," he said, sitting back against the couch. "Pike told me to take a walk around the ship, while him and Spock par-take in a video conference."

"And why aren't you- the _Captain-_ in the conference?" Leonard asked.

Jim sighed, "Because my personal involvement with the case with Miranda," he said. "Barnett and Archer are thinking about keeping _Enterprise _away from taking the ship down and over," he said.

Leonard nodded, "That makes sense in a way," he said, with a shrug. "But if I were you, I'd beat the hell out of the monster who did this."

"I know you would, Bones. You and your army of hyposprays," he grinned. He then slapped his hands against his thighs and stood up from the sofa. "So, can you help me find a ring? I'll even throw in a nice bottle of something strong."

With a disgruntled sigh, Leonard stood up from his desk. "You owe me big time, Kid. I can't keep skipping out on my patients at your beck and call," he snapped, as they made their way out of the office.


	33. Chapter 33

A few weeks later found the _Enterprise _closing in on a rouge ship, discovered during Nyota's scans for deep space transmissions. While Jim and his senior officers, along with Chris, plotted and planned a way onboard without detection and how to go about taking the mastermind into custody, Rose spent most of her time holed up in the Captains quarters with Miranda.

"Did you put your toys away?"

Miranda stood in front of Rose and nodded, "Yes! All away!"

Rose smiled, "And you put your dirty clothes in the basket so I can drop them off for cleaning?"

The little girl began to fidget on the spot, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Yes?" she shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"You're a silly little thing," Rose said, pulling her up into her lap. "A silly little boogie."

Miranda shrieked and giggled as Rose tickled her, her pleas for a truce ignored. They were so wrapped up in their tickle session, that they didn't hear the door open. It wasn't until Miranda turned her head at the sight of yellow in the corner of her eye, that the person's appearance was noticed.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"What's with all the squealing? You got a piglet in here?"

"Uncle Bones!"

Rose stopped her tickling and helped Miranda off her lap and onto the floor, laughing as she took off towards them. Jim bent down and scooped her up into his arms, chuckling as she hugged him tightly.

"Someone's having fun in here," he said.

Miranda nodded, "Mommy is making me clean up my messies!"

Leonard frowned, "Messies?" he asked, unsure if he wanted to know exactly what they were.

Rose laughed, "Putting her toys away and making sure all the dirty clothes go into the basket."

"Ah, I see."

Jim shifted Miranda from one hip to the other, "Did you clean up all your messies?" he asked.

Miranda nodded too quickly for it to be the truth and Jim gave her a stern look, knowing that she was fibbing. She sighed and dropped her head against his shoulder, mumbling against his shirt.

"What was that?" he asked, making her look up at him.

"I can't reach the sheets on my bed," she pouted. "I'm too small."

Jim snorted, "How about we send Uncle Bones in to help?" he asked, turning to his friend, "Mommy and Daddy need to talk real quick."

Miranda's eyes lit up like stars, "Uncle Bones is going to help me?" she asked, in total awe.

Leonard chuckled, "Sure thing, Sweetpea," he confirmed, making her giggle.

Jim shifted her from his arms to Leonard's and watched as they disappeared into the master suite, chattering as they went. Jim sighed and made his way over to the sofa, and sat down next to Rose.

"What's going on?" she asked, turning to face him. "Is this about the upcoming shore leave? Oh! Are we going to Risa?"

For years, Rose dreamed about heading out to Risa and spending quality time with Jim. Even with Miranda being around, she still wanted to go. Exotic beaches and an abundance of cultural variety, sounded appealing to her.

"No," it hurt to watch her face fall, disappointment flashes in her eyes. "We're skipping shore leave this time around."

Rose frowned, "What? Why?" she asked. "Last night we were all talking about it and you said it was still on!"

Jim sighed, "Rose, shore leave can wait when it comes to what I'm about to tell you"

She fell silent as his tone read serious, for this was no joking matter. Whatever Jim had to tell her, she knew it would affect her and Miranda.

"A few weeks ago, Nyota picked up a transmission from a rouge ship. Chris took the information and went to Starfleet with it and they believe the ship is housing the mastermind behind the enslavement," he started, as she gasped. "We are three days out from reaching it."

"So what's going to happen? Are you going to hail it in? Destroy it?" she asked.

He shook his head and she frowned, ready to open her mouth to speak when he cut her off. "A small party will beam aboard and them into custody."

Rose was silent, staring at him long and hard. Then she shook her head, "No."

"Rose, it's my job."

She shook her head, "No!" she snapped, jumping up to stand before him. "Are you insane? This isn't Nero and the Narada, Jim! You have no bloody clue who these people- aliens- are!" she shouted.

Jim sat up and shoved his fingers through his hair, resting his elbows on his knees. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, looking up at her. "You want 'em to get away? Let them warp off into god knows where, with the fact that they've killed thousands? Millions?"

She remained silent as he continued, "You want to let them go off after what they did to Miranda?" he asked, hitting her right in the heart with his words. "I made a fucking promise to myself that justice would be served for her and for everyone else they took. These people are dangerous and they can and will take anything they want!"

By that point, Rose was looking down at the floor, her face hidden from him and he continued to shout. "We beam out in two days before reaching their location. Bones, Spock and Sulu are coming with me. We've got three teams set up to take over the ship and Starfleet is sending two ships to transport." She didn't lift her head to look at him or acknowledge his news. "But we are taking the mastermind. I want that bastard tried and I want justice for our daughter."

Finally, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "What if you don't make it?" she asked quietly.

Jim stood up and wrapped his arms around her, "I will."

She shook her head, "This isn't like the last time, Jim. You can't get lucky twice."

He smirked, "I've gotten lucky more than that," he said, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "It'll be over before you know it, Rose. We'll beam aboard, take the bastards into custody and we can go home."

She frowned and he nodded, "Starfleet is ordering us to return to Earth once we have them. They are cutting our mission short by a few months," he said.

"We can go home?" she asked.

He nodded, "We can go home," he confirmed, before pulling her close to his body. "We can go home and move into our house and start our lives on solid ground."

Rose smiled against his chest, "I'd like that, Jim." She pulled back and looked up at him, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I'd like that a lot."

…..

The next two days went by in a blur, as Jim and the teams prepared for their final mission. Rose tried to keep a game face while Miranda was around, only crying when she went into the bathroom or out into the hall to the laundry chute. The panic of Jim heading over to the ship kept her up long after she and Jim made love, and kept her from relaxing when Miranda went down for a nap.

She made Leonard swear that he'd keep Jim safe, along with himself and the others.

"If anything happens to him-" she started, before the doctor laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her an understanding look.

"I'll do everything I can, Rose. Just focus on the little one and preparing for the trip home."

The night before D-day, Rose and Jim had dinner together in their quarters with Miranda. Afterwards, they played a few games and bathed her together in their bathroom. Both sat on either side of her on her bed, taking turns reading from the next book in the Harry Potter series. They both tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, before getting ready for bed themselves.

"Promise you'll come back," she begged, as they laid side bye side. "Promise."

"I'll come back and we can go home," he told her, pulling her close to his side. "We can go home and once Miranda is legally ours and we're settled in, we can put this behind us and move on."

She nodded slowly and he continued, "Once we settle in we can go on a family vacation. Disney? I've always wanted to go to Disney and we can stay on the beach and you can get some color. We can even have Bones and Christine come along with us- even his little girl Joanna. Two and a half years of nothing but vacations and being free from space."

His promises of the future relaxed her, lulling her into a slumber and he promised of babies and seeing the world. A future of the three of them together, with nothing to worry about. No rouge ships and evil masterminds or Royals that wanted to take humans for their beauty. A future in which he would always be there to protect them, and make sure that they were safe.


	34. Chapter 34

"Mommy why are you crying?"

Rose quickly looked up from her spot on the sofa and swiped at her face quickly, removing the evidence of her tears.

"Mommy's just tired baby," she said, holding her arms out. "Come here."

Miranda quickly made her way across the room and over to the sofa, holding onto Rose's arms as she pulled her up into her lap. Rose wrapped her arms around the child and held her firmly to her chest, placing a kiss on her head.

"Where's Daddy?" Miranda asked.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut and fought the urge to cry some more, "He's off with Uncle Bones and Mister Spock," she said firmly. "They had to work on another ship for a bit."

Miranda nodded and shifted against her, "Can we play with Pasha?"

"Pasha is busy at work, sweetheart," Rose sighed. "How about you and me lay down for a while and rest, hm?" she pushed the unruly curls away from Miranda's face. "That way, when Daddy comes home, we'll have more energy to tackle him."

….

"We have twenty minutes to clear out this ship, take down as many of these sick bastards as we can, and the remaining are to be taken into custody," Jim said, as the teams hunkered down in the cargo bay of the ship.

"And what about the big guy?" Leonard asked, as he checked his phaser. "Do we kill him or take him in?"

Jim shook his head, "Leave him to me," he hissed. "I want that bastard in custody and thrown into a goddamn cage." 

Spock shifted against the stacks of crates and other unknown objects in the dark room, "Captain, may I suggest that you think rationally before you hurt yourself or another member of the crew."

"I am thinking rationally, Spock."

Bones shook his head and turned to the small group that he would lead near the escape point on the ship, reporting back to Scotty. Jim turned to Spock and continued, "_Yorktown _and _Pegasus _should be arriving shortly to flank the _Enterprise, _we will divide up the prisoners and they will house them until we return to Earth. I want the ringleader on our ship," he stood, along with Spock. "I want to watch him be tried and put to death for what he did."

Spock nodded briefly, "That is understandable, Captain," he cocked an eyebrow. "But if you become as you humans put it, batshit insane," Jim's mouth twitched with the urge to laugh, "I will have you deemed emotionally compromised and relieved of your duties until further notice."

Jim nodded, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Spock."

"Stay safe, Jim," Spock pulled his on phaser out of the holster. "You have a very emotional wife and a young child waiting for you."

With that, Spock turned to his own team and led them out of the cargo bay.

…..

"Maybe you two should eat something, "Chris said, many hours later.

Rose sighed from her spot at the table, "I'm not hungry, Chris," she stood. "I'll make some dinner for Miranda though."

She moved to the small kitchen in the Captain's quarters and started rummaging through the cabinets, "Are you hungry? I could make enough for the both of you."

Chris moved from his spot against the wall, "How about you freshen up and I'll cook?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You cook?" she asked with a frown. "She's a four year old, Chris. I'm lucky if I can get her to eat a sandwich."

He chuckled, "I'll manage," he said. "Go on now. You need an hour to yourself to relax."

Miranda came running into the kitchen, "Mommy, I'm hungry!"

They both laughed and Chris looked at her, "Your mother is going to freshen up and I'm going to make dinner," he said, as the little girl came over to them.

Miranda looked up at Rose, who nodded in confirmation. "You're Uncle Chris here is a good cook," she said.

"Okay!" Miranda squealed, before looking up at Chris. "Can we make a burger?" she asked.

Chris snorted, "I can see Jim's eating habits have been a major influence on this one."

Rose sighed, "Tell me about it," she watched as Miranda moved to the table. "I fear what my grocery bill will look like once we get home. I might have to take a second job if they both keep eating like this."

"Who said it had to be you?" Chris asked, as he started pulling out food from the small fridge. "I think Jim would make a wonderful secretary."

"You know what? That sounds like a good idea," she grinned. "Thank you, Chris."

He turned to look at her, "You're welcome," he nodded. "Take your time."

Rose nodded and moved passed the table, stopping to give Miranda a quick kiss and to remind her to be good, before disappearing through the sitting room and into the master bedroom. Making her way into the bathroom, she locked the door and turned the shower on. Stripping out of her wrinkled clothes, Rose stepped under the hot water and stood still. All she could think about was Jim, running wild on that ship in the middle of a phaser fight.

"Dammit Jim.." she hissed, covering her face with her hands.

…..

Meanwhile, Miranda sat at the kitchen table and watched as Chris moved around the small stove. As the burgers cooked in the frying pan, Chris turned around and made his way over to the table to sit down.

"Do you work with my Daddy here?" she asked.

Chris shook his head, "Not always," he said. "I work in a big office on Earth." 

Miranda nodded, "Do you like dogs?" she asked.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the attention span she had, "I do," he nodded. "I have a dog myself." 

"You do?" she asked, her eyes growing wide. "What's his name?"

"Gable."

Miranda frowned, "That's a funny name."

Chris chuckled, "It's an old name," he added. "Old name for an old dog."

He then stood up and moved back to the stove to flip the burgers, as Miranda hopped down from her chair and moved to the fridge.

"We have to get the other stuff out," she said, trying to pull the door open.

Chris helped and watched as she pointed to things she wanted, "Can we put these on them?" she asked, pointing to the container of blueberries.

"I don't know," he shook his head slowly. "That doesn't sound so appetizing."

Miranda huffed, "Mommy wont let me do it," she said, pulling the bottle of ketchup off the door. "She says that Daddy eats like a pig."

Chris snorted as he set the fresh produce from last weeks delivery onto the table, "She's right," he said, taking the bottle from her. "Your Dad eats everything and anything he can get his hands on."

"She also says that he's going to make himself really sick on day," she giggled. "He gets tummy aches and lays on the couch holding his belly like this," she mimicked her father, clutching her belly and groaning. "Mommy tells him that he gots what he deserveded and that Uncle Bones will say the same thing!"

Once the burgers were cooked and ready, Chris brought them over to the table and set each one a bun. The pan went into the sink and he turned back to the table to help Miranda.

"Can we put Mommy's together?" she asked, as Chris sliced a tomato.

"How about we wait until your Mom comes out?" he asked, setting a slice down on his own burger and one on hers.

Miranda nodded, "Can we make one for Daddy?"

Chris paused and hesitated to answer, for the status on the team was unknown to him. It had been nearly six hours since they left and beamed aboard the rouge ship, and he hadn't received any news from Scotty or from the bridge.

"We should wait until he comes home," he finally replied. "A cold burger wont taste as good as a hot one."

They finished putting their food together and sat down to eat in a semi-silent matter, with Miranda asking a few questions here and there. Mostly about his dog and how he knew Rose and Jim, to the house that they would be moving into. A few times during the conversation, Chris found himself slipping back into memories of when he and Rose found out about their own baby. The promise of a happy life together with their son or daughter, only to have that promise ripped away along with the life of the baby she carried. Had things gone the right way, maybe a child like Miranda would be his. He would be called Daddy and it would be him making dinner for his child. But that was so many years ago and while he had moved on, the memories found their way through the cracks to seize his heart.

"I see we've attacked the produce."

Chris and Miranda looked to the doorway and found Rose standing there with a small smile, her hair wet from the shower.

"Mommy!" Miranda squealed. "Uncle Chris maded dinner!"

She laughed quietly as she walked to the table, pulling the chair out to sit down. "I can see that," she nodded. "And I see you made a mess as well."

Picking up a napkin, Rose leaned over and wiped the ketchup from her face, before settling back into her seat.

"I figured you'd want to put what you like on yours," Chris said, as she glanced down at her dish. "Wasn't sure if you liked it the same way."

She managed a small smile, "The greenest piece of lettuce, two pickles and a dash of salt," she ducked her head as he looked at her with slight shock. "I can't eat it any other way."

Chris nodded, "Well," he looked down at his own dish.

Rose quickly put her food together and took a big bite, "Mmm, you still use garlic salt and basil," she said, remembering how Chris always made their dinner back in the day.

"Can't eat it any other way," he shrugged.

Rose smiled; "Well then," she took another bite. "I guess you'll have to make them more often," she nodded towards Miranda. "Good?" she asked.

Miranda nodded and picked up a slice of tomato, "I like you," she said, looking at Chris. "You make yummy food."

Chris chuckled, "I guess I passed the test?" he asked, as Rose nodded.

"Of course you did," she shrugged. "The only way to win a Kirk's heart is through food," she said, keeping the statement child friendly for Miranda's sake.


	35. Chapter 35

**Nearing the end of this story! A few more chapters! **

The only light within the Captains quarters came from the small nightlight in the adjoining bedroom. In the master bedroom, Rose was drifting in a fitful slumber, as images of death and gore filled her dreams.

"Mmm," she whimpered, clutching the sheet that barely covered her.

Twelve hours had gone by and Jim still wasn't back yet, making life on the _Enterprise _difficult and dreary. After dinner, Chris excused himself back to the guest quarters for a conference call and left her and Miranda alone. Bath time and story time came and went, and Miranda was long gone in dreamland.

A shift in images from happiness to murder took over Roses mind, as she trembled in her sleep. Jim standing before her, bleeding out from various wounds and broken bones. Choking on his own blood and he tried to tell her everything he needed to say before the life faded from his eyes.

_I'm s-sorry.. I'I love y-you…R-run.._

It wasn't until he took his last shuddering breath that she began to scream. Hands reached out and grabbed her arms, shaking her as she thrashed about.

"ROSE! ROSE!"

The gut-wrenching screams filled the room, sounding as if a murder was taking place within the bedroom.

"Mommy!"

"Shit! Bones!"

Muttered curses and the sound of a child crying filled her ears, as she was trapped between consciousness and a dream state.

"Come on! Wake up!"

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and the gasping and shuddering breaths took over. Blinking in the dim lighting, Rose made out the face of her husband and let out a startled cry.

"Oh god!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. 

Jim grunted as she scrambled onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding him tightly to her, nails digging into her shoulders.

"Baby, baby," he whispered, as she sobbed. "Shhh, I'm right here."

A whimpering, shuddering mess, Rose held onto him for dear life and he tried to console her. Leonard stood in the doorway that separated the bedrooms, Miranda clinging onto him as he held her. Jim looked up at him and shrugged, unsure what to say or do.

"Mommy.." Miranda hiccupped, rubbing her eye.

Rose turned her head to look at her and sobbed, "Oh darling," she shook her head. "I'm sorry!"

Leonard placed her down and watched as she took off towards the bed, pulling herself up and into her parents' arms. Snuggled between both Rose and Jim, they all clung to one another, as both mother and child cried. Jim sat quietly hugging them both, whispering soothing words of comfort.

…..

Three hours later, after a quick debriefing with Chris, senior officers and the other captains of the ships that came to aide, Jim stood in the doorway of the bathroom facing his bed. After returning to room, Leonard offered to give Rose a sleeping aid, which she gladly took. It took a half an hour for her body to finally relax as she fell back asleep. He double-checked with security on their prisoner, who sat in a cell in the bowels of the ship. They would reach Earth's range in three days time, and a shuttle would take him and his helpers down for a more suitable holding center.

Tossing the towel over the shower rod, Jim turned the lights off and made his way across the room. Pulling one side of the blanket up from the foot of the bed, Jim made sure both Rose and Miranda were tucked in without waking them. Between his long absence and Rose's nightmare, Miranda refused to go back into her own room. Not having the heart to say no, Jim made sure Miranda had her bear and tucked her right next to Rose before he left. Now, she slept silently at her mother's side, clutching the sleeve of her shirt in her hand.

Jim knelt on the bed and leaned over them, placing a light kiss on each of their faces, before settling down on his side of the bed. Pulling the blankets up and over him, he slid closer towards the middle of the bed and gently draped his arm over both of them. He only hoped that once they returned to San Francisco, things would pick up and move smoothly for the family.

….

The next morning, Rose sat at the small table in the kitchen and stared at the cup of now cold coffee. Overly exhausted and still foggy from the sleeping aid, she woke up at 0700 to a call from Christine. The nurse offered to watching Miranda for the morning so Rose and Jim could talk and would return before her shift at noon to drop her off. Getting Miranda up after an eventful evening proved to be difficult, as the little girl refused to leave her fathers side. Jim woke up briefly, rolling over to snuggle with her.

"I'll be right here when you come back," he said, placing kisses on her cheek. "Mommy and Daddy need to talk for a little while."

Reluctantly, Miranda crawled out of bed and Rose carried her off into her own room to get ready. Christine came down around 0745 and took Miranda down for breakfast, promising to return as soon as possible. Once they left, Rose locked the door and made her way back into the bedroom and crawled back into bed and right on top of her husband.

" This is a compromising position," he said, yawning as she draped her limbs over his body. "Though, I am not complaining."

"Hmmm."

Jim wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him, "What happened last night?"

Rose laid there in silence, her eyes closed as the headache rocked her. "Bad dream," she mumbled.

He kissed the top of her head, "I know that," he sighed. "Half the floor heard you screaming. I came in and thought you were being attacked."

She sighed, "I was dreaming of you dying."

Jim grew quiet as he lay there in their bed, holding her in his arms. "There was so much blood," she whimpered. "I couldn't stop it and you kept bleeding all over the place."

Rolling over, Rose landed softly on her back as Jim laid on top of her. "I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded and he continued, "If anything should happen to me," he started, causing her to tear up. "My best friend is my CMO and I married a brilliant doctor, who patches me up when I burn my tongue with a hot fork."

Rose nodded, "That's true."

Jim cracked a sleep smile, "With you two at my side, I'll be safe," he kissed her. "But I will try my hardest to stay out of trouble."

She nodded and Jim rested his head against her chest, closing his eyes. They laid in silence for a while, enjoying the sound of their breathing and beating hearts, as life around the ship started up for another day.

"Shouldn't we get dressed and conference all the Admiralty?" she asked after a while.

Jim groaned and shifted against her, "We already have an Admiral onboard," he yawned. "It's still early and our prisoner isn't going anywhere for the rest of his life. I want to enjoy the morning with my wife before I have to make more calls."

"Hmm, sounds good," she sighed. "How much longer will we be out here?"

"Three days," he growled, as she played with his hair. "I hope that's enough time to pack."

She smiled, "That's plenty of time."

"Good," he yawned again. "I can't wait to move into our house and have you and Miranda for two whole years, living a normal life."


	36. Chapter 36

Later that day, after a morning together in bed, the couple managed to pull themselves together for the day. They showered and ate a few pieces of toast from the replicator, before Christine returned with Miranda.

"Guess what, baby doll?" Jim asked, as he carried Miranda around their quarters. "You and Mommy are going to start packing up and getting ready to leave soon."

"We're leaving?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Jim kissed her cheek, "We are! You, me and Mommy are going to move into a big house and you're going to have a big bedroom and lots of things to go in it."

Rose watched from the kitchen as they moved about, laughing and whispering. She smiled at the sight, resting her head against the doorframe.

"Can Uncle Bones and Chrissy come with us?" she asked, as Jim set her down on the couch.

"Uncle Bones and Chrissy have their own places to stay at," he said, watching as her face fell. "But, I'm sure they'd love to come and visit you. Uncle Bones is going to help us move in."

Miranda smiled at him, "Can we get a puppy?"

Rose snorted as Jim's dumbfounded look, "A puppy? What about a fish?"

"Uncle Chris has a dog. An old one!"

"Does he now?" he asked, looking up at Rose.

She shook her head at him, "Did your Uncle Chris say much about his dog or dogs in general?" he asked.

Miranda shook her head, "Nope!" she smiled. "He says Gabel's old because he has an old name."

"First lets worry about moving into the house before we get a puppy?" he suggested. "Mommy also has to think about it before we do that. She'll yell at me if I say yes without her answer."

Miranda nodded and Jim stood up, "I'll see you at dinner time."

"Okay," she jumped off the couch. "Bye Daddy!" she yelled, running into their bedroom.

Jim sighed and made his way over to Rose, "A puppy?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. "A puppy is a lot of work."

She snorted, "So are babies, yet that doesn't stop you from wanting several of them."

"But at least a baby will ending up talking!"

"Oh darling," she reached up to place her hand on his cheek. "I think the title of dumb blonde suits you right now."

She squealed as his hand came down across her ass, bucking her hips against his. "Ohhh! That hurt!" she groaned, reaching back to rub her stinging cheek. "Spousal abuse! After all the things I do for you!"

Jim growled, "That's nothing compared to what I'm gonna do later," he nipped her ear. "Try to tire her out so I can have my way with you."

Rose laughed, "Just so you know," she kissed his cheek. "I refuse to do this shit when we have more kids. You'll have to be patient and wait til I'm good and ready to do anything with you."

"I can wait," he whispered. "I'll see you later for dinner."

They shared a quick kiss, "Be good and don't get us killed," she warned, as he made his way to the door.

"I'll try my best," he grinned. "Love you."

"Love you, too!"

…..

"Miranda, no honey! We cannot throw everything into the bag!"

Miranda stood by the foot of her bed, dropping a pile of toys on top of her clothes that sat in one of the suitcases.

"All done!" she squealed, clapping at her achievement.

Rose groaned, "Okay," she nodded slowly. "How about you go into our room and snuggle up with your bear in bed? Mommy will be there in a minute to put a video on for you.

Grabbing her bear, Miranda tore out of the room leaving Rose on the floor, surrounded by her clothes and toys. Packing their entire lives into a few suitcases turned out to be more work than expected, having to organize and throw out things that no longer fit. She had gone overboard wither her online shopping, having bought too many clothes and toys for Miranda when she first moved in with them. Now, as she got bigger and bigger, the clothes were useless.

"Mommy! Movie now!" Miranda shouted from the bedroom, the bedsprings squeaking as she bounced around.

Rose huffed as she pulled herself off the floor, "I'm coming baby!" she called out, hoping over the pile of clothes that laid between her and the bedroom door.

…

After a long day of conference calls with the brass, Jim returned home. He dropped his boots on the floor and dropped his communicator on the table, stripping out of his shirt as he moved through the quarters.

"I'm home!" he called out, hearing the sounds of a kids movie playing from his bedroom

"Daddy!"

Jim smiled to himself as he walked through the doorway of the bedroom, his little girl standing on the bed with her bear.

"Hey you," he cooed, picking her up to give her a kiss. "What are you doing?" he asked, as she hugged him.

"Movie!" she squealed, pointing to the vid-screen on the wall.

Jim set her down and ruffled her hair, "I can see that," he observed, glancing at the screen. "Where's your mother?"

"She's sleeping on the floor," she shrugged, pulling at her bear's ears.

"What?" he frowned, "What do you mean she's sleeping on the floor?"

Miranda pointed in the direction of her room, "In there," she nodded. "She's sleeping on the floor with the clothes."

Jim cursed and quickly scrambled across the bed, nearly colliding with the wall as his feet hit the ground. Rushing into the next room, his steps faltered for a moment as he took in the mess that covered the floor. Then, like Miranda said, Jim spotted his wife lying on top of a pile of clothes in the middle of the room.

"Rose!" he shouted, rushing to her side.

The redhead woke up with a jolt, quickly moving on the floor. "Wh-what? What happened?"

Jim sighed as he hit the floor at her side, "Jesus! I thought you were hurt!" he said, as she laid back with a sigh. "Miranda said you were sleeping on the floor and I thought that was code for fainting or something worse!"

Rose yawned, "No," she shook her head. "Just tired."

Looking around the room, Jim shook his head in dismay. "What the hell happened in here?" he asked, as she took his hand.

"Packing," she grunted. "She has too many clothes. We have too much shit, Jim."

He snorted, "I told you not to order so much," he shrugged, as he moved to lay down next to her. "But do you listen? No."

Rose sighed, as she moved her head onto his chest. "I hope we have another little girl, that way all of Miranda's old clothes will be put to good use," she yawned again.

"I'll try to give you a girl," he kissed her head. "But first, we have a little girl waiting in our bed to watch some cartoon monstrosity on our television."

"Okay," she yawned. "Help me up and carry me," she demanded, as he got up.

He snorted, "Bossy are we?" he asked, as he pulled her up off the floor and tossed her over his shoulder.

….

"Nyte, Earth is this one,' Pavel said, as he pulled up a computerized image of the planet on the PADD. "See, green and blue. This is vhere your mama and papa live."

Miranda frowned, "No! We live in the sky!" she insisted, much to the teen's dismay.

Jim snorted from his spot on the sofa, looking over at them from his work. "Chekov, she's too young to understand," he said.

Leonard chuckled, "Too stubborn if you ask me."

Miranda giggled, "Pasha come draw with me!" she demanded, scrambling up to her feet. "Color picture!" she squealed, rushing to the basket that held her art supplies.

"You heard her Pasha," Leonard grinned. "Little Miss wants to color a picture."

"Maybe Uncle Bones wants to draw a picture or two," Rose said, as she came in with food. "He's a good artist, Miranda." 

Leonard scowled at her, as she placed the plate of sandwiches down on the coffee table.

"How's Scotty doing with the warp? Can we get this baby to move faster?" Rose asked, as she helped Miranda set up her art supplies on the end of the table.

Jim shrugged, "He said he might be able to, but wont know for another hour or two," he tossed the PADD down on the sofa and reached for a sandwich. "I just want to go home already. Get that monster locked up and move into my first house with my wife and kid, and not have to do anything for two years."

Rose moved to sit between her husband and Leonard, placing the PADD down on her lap. "I just want to breathe real air," she sighed.

"I wanna see my kid and not have to save your ass everyday," Leonard sighed, tilting his head back against the couch.

The three adults then turned to look at Pavel, who was busy drawing on a blank piece of paper. When he finally noticed the silence, Pavel looked over at them.

"Um, yes?"

"What do you want when you go home?" Rose asked.

Pavel shrugged, "Food? Wodka?"

Jim snorted as Leonard scowled, "Damn Russians and their vodka," he muttered, making Rose giggle.

Rose shook her head as Pavel went back to his work, before turning to Leonard. "So," she drawled. "Bones, my buddy." 

He sighed, "What do you want, demon?" he asked.

"Hey!" Jim scowled, wrapping his arm around her. "That's my wife you're talking to." 

Leonard rolled his eyes and Rose continued, "Are you and Christine going to hang out during our time home?"

"I don't know," he frowned. "Why do you need to know?" he asked.

Rose smiled, "Because you're my friends and you two look so cute together," she sighed. "Think of all the doctor and naughty nurse roleplaying you two could do!"

Jim roared with laughter as Leonard scowled, "Goddamn infants," he snapped, as he stood up. "That's what you two are!"


	37. Chapter 37

"Now, when you wake up tomorrow, we're going to board a little space ship and we're going to fly all the way down to a blue planet," Jim said, as he tucked Miranda into bed. "Then we'll take a car to our house and you'll have a big bedroom."

Miranda clutched her bear tightly, "Will everyone be there with us?" she asked, as Jim settled down next to her.

"They'll be near by at their own places," he said, as she shifted under the sheet. "But it's gonna be you, me and Mommy."

"Okay," she yawned, rolling onto her side.

Jim smiled, "Goodnight, baby girl."

Standing up, Jim leaned down to place a quick kiss on her head, before pulling the blanket up a bit. Quietly, he moved to the door and looked back before turning the lights down.

"Is she sleeping?" Rose asked, looking up from the pile of clothes on the edge of their bed.

Jim closed the door halfway and nodded, "It's been a long day," he sighed, collapsing on the mattress. "And tomorrow will be even longer."

Rose snorted, "The next two weeks will be longer," she tossed a folded shirt into the suitcase. "Moving all of that furniture and unpacking." 

Jim groaned, "Don't remind me."

"At least you wont have to really work for two years," she shrugged. "They want you to teach a class or two, which is really not that bad."

He looked up at her, "I rather watch paint dry," he muttered, rolling onto his back. "I don't like teaching people. My smarts are too good for them."

She rolled her eyes, "As if your ego could get any bigger," she muttered, dropping a pile of folded clothes into the case. "Can you get your ass up and help me finish packing? We wont be back up here for two years!"

"Just throw it all into the suitcase and be done with it!" he groaned, pulling the pillow down from it's spot, and plopping his head down. "It doesn't have to be all neat and shit."

"You're such a lazy bitch!" she snapped, getting up from the bed and into the bathroom.

"Love you!" Jim called out.

…

"No! No! Mommy!" Miranda cried, as Rose settled her down into the seat. "No!"

After an early wakeup, the crew started their morning rituals before sending their belongings to transport. By 0900, the senior crew started boarding their shuttle, long after the others left the ship.

"Miranda, it's a short ride," Rose huffed, trying to buckle the four year old in. "You'll be out and on solid ground before you know it."

"NOOOOOOO!"

Rose cursed as her limbs flailed about and the temper tantrum grew worse and worse. Suddenly, a hand fell on her shoulder, startling her.

"Here," Leonard said, setting his bag down. "Let me," he nodded to Miranda.

Rose stepped back and watched and Leonard knelt down in front of Miranda, "Hey Darlin'," he rubbed her leg gently. "Why are you givin'your mother a hard time?"

"Okay, everyone's on board and I left the skeleton crew a list of shit that needs to be done before they bring her out for the refit," Jim said, making his way over to Rose. "What's Bones doing?"

Rose sighed, "Miranda was throwing a temper tantrum," she rubbed her eyes. "Len is trying to work his southern charm."

"Which worked," the doctor said, as he stood up. "She's all buckled in and ready for the trip home."

"You're a lifesaver," Rose said, patting his arm. "Thank you."

As Rose moved to sit next to Miranda, Leonard took the seat across from them, stowing his bag under the seat. Jim then took the seat on Miranda's other side, and sat down.

"Can't wait! Home, home, home!" he chanted, buckling in. "Real food, beer and some good ol' American sports!"

Rose rolled her eyes, "You'll get fat if you sit on the sofa all day long, stuffing your face and drinking beers."

Nyota snickered from her seat, ducking her head behind a PADD. Jim scowled at his wife, who smiled sweetly at him.

"Miranda, you're gonna watch sports with Daddy right?" he asked, looking down at the little girl.

She nodded and Jim smiled, "Atta girl!"

….

"Are you ready to go, baby?" Jim asked, as he unbuckled Miranda from her seat.

"Home?" she asked, holding her bear against her chest with one hand while the other rubbed her eye.

Jim nodded, "Yeah baby girl. We're going home," he smiled, as he followed Leonard off the shuttle.

He turned and held his hand out for Rose, helping her out of the shuttle and onto solid ground for the first time in five years. They both took in deep breaths, sighing in pleasure at the feeling of real air filling their lungs.

"Lets go get our bags and see about getting a cab," Jim said, leading the way over to baggage claim.

As they followed the crew, they weren't aware of the group that headed towards them. Jim set Miranda down on the ground, moving forward with Leonard to start pulling the bags to the side.

"Excuse me," a woman came forward, "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Kirk?"

Rose looked up from where Miranda was standing and Jim turned around, "Yes. Can I help you?" he asked, as the woman removed a badge from her suit pocket.

"I'm with the Federation Department of Child Services," she flashed the badge at them both. "We're here to collect your child."

Jim frowned, "I'm sorry," he shook his head. "What?"

Leonard watched the scene before him, confused. He glanced over at Spock, who had taken interest in what was going on, while Nyota and the others hung back watching.

"We're here to pick up Miranda," the woman said, turning her attention to the little girl.

Rose quickly pulled Miranda close to her side, "Why?" she demanded.

The woman turned to the two guards that stood behind her, and they moved forward.

"Hey!" Leonard shouted, as they pried Roses' hands off of Miranda.

The full pitch screams that erupted from Miranda caused every head to turn on the dock, as the little girl was scooped up and escorted from her parents.

"Wait! No!" Rose shouted, running after them. "What are you doing?"

"MOMMY! DADDY!" Miranda screamed, looking back at them with her hands outstretched to them.

Jim quickly caught Rose around the waist, holding her back and she kicked and screamed. "Come back! MIRANDA!" she screamed, watching as the group filed into a car, pulling away from the curb and driving out of the shuttle dock station.

"No!" Rose screamed, as she collapsed to her knees, taking Jim down with her. "No! No! Not my baby!

"Get Chris on the line," Jim said, looking at Spock. "Tell him what happened and to meet us at the house."

Spock nodded and departed quickly, leaving Nyota behind to stay with Rose. Leonard knelt down next to his friends, placing his hand on top of Rose's shoulder as she sobbed.

"Oh god," she gasped, as her eyes fell upon Patches, making her cry even harder. "They took our baby, Jim. They took our baby."

…

Jim cursed as he paced the floor of his new dining room, "Dammit! Why would they take her like that? Can they even do that?"

Chris shook his head, "I don't know," he admitted. "Honestly, I thought they'd only do it if they saw the potential adoptive parents as unsuitable. But you two pasts all the tests that were sent and had enough personal recommendations from the others."

Leonard came into the kitchen, "Jim."

They both turned to look at him, "She's upstairs," he started, looking down at his hands. "In Miranda's room."

Jim nodded, "Excuse me for a moment," he moved out of the dining room and started up the stairs.

Moving down the hallway, he stopped at the room that would've been Miranda's and pushed the door open. Rose stood by the window, looking out at the yard. It was nearing five o'clock, and the sun was setting, the room growing dark by the minute. Jim stepped further into the room until he was right behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Rose," he whispered, as she shuddered.

"They ripped her out of my arms," she stated, her voice hollow. "Just like that. As if I'd stolen her from another."

Jim hugged her tightly, "Baby," he shook his head. "We're gonna get her back."

"When, Jim?" she asked, her voice going up an octave. "They wouldn't just take her from us only to return her! She's a goddamn child, not a movie you loan out to friends!"

Turning her away from the window, Jim took hold of her face in his hands. "Rose," he lifted her face up to look at her. "We're going to get her back. Chris is going to contact FDCS and Barnet, and they're going to look into this entire thing."

Rose nodded, "I just want her back, Jim," she sobbed. "This is her home. We are her parents."

"Come on," he scooped her up into his arms. "I want you to take a nap and try to get some sleep. It's been a really long day and tomorrow we're going to figure out how to get her back."

Rose nodded quietly, as she clung to him. Stepping out of the bedroom, Jim carried her down the opposite end of the hallway and into their new bedroom.

"It's going to be okay, Rose," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to get our little girl back."


	38. Chapter 38

The entire first week home was filled with tension and sadness, as the Kirks moved into their new home without their daughter. Rose locked herself in Miranda's room, while the boys lugged furniture and boxes out of storage and into the house. Their constant contact with FDCS was a battle between what was right and what was wrong. Chris would call every night with reports on what information he could dissect from the secretaries of those who were on the case.

"Rose," Jim knocked on the bedroom door. "I made dinner."

When she didn't answer, he cursed and reached for the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing the door open, he was met with the strong stench of paint.

"Rose? What are you doing?" he asked, as she looked away from the wall that she was painting on.

"I'm painting Miranda's room," she shrugged, before turning back to her mural.

Jim stepped further into the room and looked around at the lilac colored walls, taking in the small designs of flowers and bears. Rose set her paintbrush down and cracked her fingers, before pulling herself up to her feet.

"I figured she'd want a nice room to come home to," she said, looking around at her artwork. "I just need to paint some flowers around the window and I'll be done."

"This is," he shook his head, looking around the room. "This is amazing, Rose. She'll love this."

She smiled briefly, "Did you hear anything from FDCS?" she asked, grabbing the bottle of water resting on the ladder.

Jim moved over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, "They sent Chris a number to call and he left a message," he shrugged. "I get the feeling that they want to see how long we'll wait before coming down there guns blazing."

Rose sighed, "I hope it doesn't come to that," she scratched her head. "I just want them to give us answers and give her back."

He kissed the top of her head, "Me too," he hugged her tightly. "Come on, lets go eat and I'll help you finish."

…

"Jim, can you get that? I can't leave the stove unattended!" Rose shouted, as she and Leonard fussed around with pots and pans. "It's probably Chris!"

Their first Sunday dinner in the new house, left Rose in a panic. She wanted everything to be neat and ready to host her friends, though she found it hard to concentrate with other things on her mind.

Jim groaned, "Why can't Bones get it? He's closer!"

"JUST DO IT!"

Cursing, Jim pulled himself off the couch and moved towards the window, pulling the curtains back. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped, as he quickly rushed to the door.

"GET OUT HERE NOW!" he shouted, as he fumbled with the locks. "Shit! Why do we have so many locks on this damn door!"

A few seconds later, Rose came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands down on a towel. "What are you doing? Here let me," she pushed him away from the door.

Once all the locks were unlocked, Rose pulled the front door open and paused, gasping.

"Oh my god.."

"MOMMY!"

Rose took off down the walkway, as Jim hollered for Leonard as he ran outside after her. Bending down, Rose scooped Miranda up into her arms and stood up.

"Oh baby girl," she sobbed. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

Smothering her with kisses, Miranda hugged her tightly as she spotted Jim over her shoulder. "Daddy!"

Jim smiled, "Hi baby!" he kissed her cheek. "Look at you! You're so big!"

Leonard stood in the doorway watching the scene before him, as the family reunited on the walkway. Chris came up to them a few minutes later, relived and smiling.

"She's all yours," he said, as they looked at him. "No more worrying about anyone taking her away from you or any other nonsense that FDCS can use," he handed Jim a PADD. "You're stuck with her for the next eighteen years and thereafter.

Rose smiled and held out her arm, "Thank you," she sobbed, as Chris moved in for a hug. "Thank you so much."

"Come on in," Jim said, as Rose carried Miranda into the house. "This might be the best Sunday dinner we'll ever have."

…..

Jim checked on Miranda one more time, as she played with Pavel and Hikaru, before moving into the den. Rose sat on the sofa next to Leonard, while Chris took the recliner near the window.

"So they just took her to do testing?" Leonard asked, as he looked up from the PADD. "That's a crock of shit! I'm her doctor! I did enough testing on the ship!"

Rose nodded, "Yeah, that can't be why they took her from us."

Jim sat down next to her, "Maybe they wanted to see if we were going to be good enough to raise her," he shrugged. "Maybe it was a test for all of us."

"Than FDCS should burn in hell for that," Rose snapped. "What a stupid thing to do! Whatever happened to having a case worker coming into the home to check everything out?"

Chris shook his head, "I don't know," he admitted honestly. "Everything seems very sketchy with FDCS and this case."

"How did they let her go? I can't imagine that it was easy for them to return her," Leonard said, setting the PADD down on the coffee table.

"Lets just say," Chris reached for his glass on the coffee table, "That Starfleet really went after them."

Jim grinned, "Barnett?" he asked, chuckling.

Chris shook his head, "No," he set the glass down on the arm of the recliner, tapping it lightly with his finger. "Me."

Rose gasped, "You?"

He nodded, "I couldn't let them get away with taking a little girl from her parents."

"Chris.." Jim started, before the older man cut him off.

"They may be your crew, Kirk, "he started. "But you were all mine first, no matter how brief it was. I care about all of you and what happens in your lives outside of Starfleet."

Jim nodded, "Thank you." 

Rose stood up and moved around the table before stopping at the chair, bending down to hug him. "Thank you, Chris."

He patted her back at an awkward angle, "You're welcome," he said, as she pulled back.

Just then, Nyota appeared at the entrance of the den, knocking on the wall.. "Somebody wants to see her parents," she smiled

Miranda ran into the room and climbed onto the couch, settling down on Jim's lap.

"Oof!" Jim grunted, as Miranda clung to him. "Somebody is getting a little to big to sit on Daddy's lap," he chuckled, as she shook her head.

"Can we have cake now?" she asked. "Auntie Ny says I have to ask."

Jim snorted, "Of course we can have cake! Why else did we have her bring it for?"

Nyota rolled her eyes, "I'll go check on the others," she said, before disappearing down the hall.

"Come on boys," Jim said, as he stood up. "I hear this cake is quite good; double chocolate with buttercream icing!"

Rose snickered as Leonard got up to follow them out of the den, while Chris slowly stood up from his seat.

"Double chocolate cake, huh?" he asked, shaking his head. "Trying to give an old man a heart attack?"

"Old man?" she frowned. "I didn't see an old man in my house today. Oh god, did you see a ghost?" she feigned terror. "My house is haunted?!"

Chris shook his head as he chuckled, "Funny," he started towards the doorway. "You wont be laughing when I keel over your kitchen table."

….

"See, Mommy painted all the flowers and bears on the wall," Jim said, as he tucked Miranda into her bed. "Isn't it pretty?" he asked.

Miranda nodded, "Did you find Patches? I lost him."

Jim nodded and moved to the dresser near the opposite wall, plucking the toy bear up and carrying it back to her bed. "Uncle Spock made sure he was clean and safe before he came home."

The little girl took the bear and hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head. "I missed him so much, Daddy."

"I know," he nodded. "He missed you too."

Rose knocked on the door, "Is this little princess ready for bed?" she asked, making her way into the room.

Jim nodded, "She's one bedtime story and a bear- ready for bed," he announced, as she sat down on the other side of the bed.

"Tomorrow," she started, as she fixed the sheets. "We are going to the supermarket for the first time and we're going to get a whole lot of yummy things to eat. How's that sound?" she asked.

Miranda nodded, "Okay."

"What's wrong, squirt?" Jim asked.

"Can I stay with you and Mommy?" she quietly asked, clutching Patches to her side. "I don't want to sleep alone."

Rose and Jim glanced at each other, "How about you stay with me and Mommy tonight in our bed," he started. "And then tomorrow, we can stay in here with you?"

Miranda nodded and Jim stood up, "Come on then! We can put a movie on," he announced, as Miranda stood up on the mattress.

Stepping into the master bedroom, Jim set her down on the bed, while Rose disappeared into the bathroom to change.

"We can watch something on the kiddie channel," Jim said, as he powered the large vid-screen up. "I think we can find an old Disney movie playing."

Miranda by that point, was snuggled between the mountain of pillows and pulling the blankets up over her. Jim turned around and laughed when he spotted her little head sticking out from the massive comforter.

"Like that bed, huh?" he asked, moving to his side. "Ready to snuggle with your old man?" he asked, pulling the blankets down to climb in.

"Daddy, you're not old," Miranda said, as he settled next to her.

Jim chuckled, "thanks, kid," he said, ruffling her hair.

Rose stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in her pajamas, and smiled at the sight before her. "I have a feeling it'll be hard to keep this one in her own room," she shook her head.

"Maybe I want to keep her close," Jim shrugged, before laying kisses all over Miranda's cheeks. "Keep my babies close."

Climbing into bed, Rose slid her feet under the blankets and shuffled the pillows behind her. "Well, I do hope we can alternate days."

"Daddy! This one!" Miranda squealed, pointing to the vid-screen. "Ariel!"

Jim settled the small control pad down and smiled, "Mermaid girl?" he asked, as she nodded. "Alright then," he shifted down under the blankets. "Let the first Kirk family movie night begin!"


	39. Chapter 39

**Thank you for all the reviews! This is the last chapter before the epilogue! **

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Leonard and Miranda! Happy birthday to you!"

A chorus of cheers and whistles rang out in the backyard of the Kirk household, as the small group of friends and family celebrated two very special people. Miranda blew out her candles with overexcitement; giggling at the attention she received from her Mother and the other women. 

"Come on, Bones!" Jim held the camera in his hands. "Don't be a party pooper and blow those candles out!"

Christine chuckled from her spot next to the doctor, earning a glare from him as he grumbled. Blowing out the candles, he received a round of applause and a kiss from his girlfriend.

"Okay!" Rose picked up the knife and started pulling the candles out of Miranda's cake. "Birthday girl gets the first piece!"

Moving around the table to stand behind her daughter, Rose set the knife over the cake. "Which piece do you want, Randa girl?" she asked.

"That one!" Miranda exclaimed, pointing to the biggest flower on the corner of the cake.

Jim snorted, "That's all sugar!" he said, pointing to the piece. "Are five year olds allowed to have that much sugar?"

Leonard shrugged, as Christine cut a slice from his cake. "It's her birthday, Jim. I think that's enough of an excuse to ingest enough sugar."

Once the cakes were cut and slices were handed out, the group dispersed to the various tables in the yard, eating and laughing with one another. Jim and Rose took their seats near Miranda, watching as she ate her cake with happiness. Just six weeks home, their lives were changed for the better. They managed to put their home together, with both their tastes clashing exceptionally together, while experiencing the adventures of being young parents to a hyper child.

"Good day?" Jim asked, wrapping his arm around Rose's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

She nodded, "A very good day," she agreed, turning her head to kiss him.

….

"Okay, we have one more present for you," Jim announced, as he came out the back door, holding a bag in his hand.

It was nearing Miranda's bedtime, the party long over and the guests long gone. The only people who remained were Leonard and Christine, who found themselves sitting on the porch swing located in the front of the house.

"You do?" Miranda asked, sitting up from her spot next to Rose.

Jim sat down next to her and nodded, "It's in this bag," he said, pointing to it.

Rose snorted and Jim continued, "Now, this is a very important gift," he said. "Can you handle such seriousness?" he asked.

Miranda nodded quickly, "Yes! I can, Daddy!"

"Oh Jim!" Rose scolded. "Don't tease her!"

Jim picked the bag off the ground and set it between himself and Miranda, while Rose helped her to stand on the bench. Peering into the bag that was filled with tissue paper, Miranda started digging through the pink and purple mess. Once the paper laid scattered about on the patio, she pulled out a stuff Minnie Mouse doll.

"It's Minnie!," she gasped, holding the toy carefully in her hands.

Jim nodded, "And you know why this is special?" he asked, as Rose smiled at them both.

Miranda shook her head and Jim continued, "Because this weekend," he glanced at Rose, who smiled with encouragement. "We are going to see Minnie for real."

"We are?" Miranda asked, looking up quickly from the doll, before turning around to look at Rose.

"Yes," Rose nodded. "We're going to see Minnie and Mickey!"

Miranda let out a squeal, turning around to huge Rose tightly, before letting go and doing the same to Jim.

"And Uncle Bones and Chrissy are coming too," he said, as Miranda babbled excitedly over the news. "Uncle Bones is going to bring his little girl with them, that way you have someone to play with."

"I love you," Miranda said, as she sat down with her new toy.

"How much?" Jim asked.

Miranda set Minnie down on her lap and held out her arms, "This much!" she exclaimed.

"To the moon and back?" Rose asked.

"To the moon and back."

Jim leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, "Happy birthday, baby."

…

"Miranda Jane! "

"Joanna Elizabeth!"

The two girls halted in their steps and slowly turned around, and smiled shyly at their fathers.

"What did I tell you about running?" Jim asked, looking at Miranda.

"To not do it?" she asked, digging her toe into the pavement.

Leonard crooked his finger at Joanna, "Come here," he demanded. "Both of you."

The two little girls dragged themselves back over, holding one another's hands as they did so, and stopped in front of them.

"You can't go running off, Jo," Leonard said, as he knelt down to be at eye-level.

Jim copied him and looked at Miranda, "This is a big park," he said. "I don't want you two getting lost."

Miranda nodded, "Sorry, Daddy."

"It's alright, Miranda," he said, as she hugged him. "I know you're excited, but when Mommy says you have to wait, that means you have to wait."

Leonard nodded, "We best get back to the ladies now," he said, standing up. "They keep bickering over which damn ride to go on."

With the girls, Jim and Leonard moved through the crowd to their respected partners, watching as they fought.

"Now, now," Jim said, halting their argument. "How about we go on something that the kids want to ride?" he asked.

Rose scowled, "Christine is a chicken and wont go on the newest edition of Space Mountain!"

Christine snorted, "Oh please! You wont even go on the Haunted Mansion ride!" she shot back.

Jim and Leonard looked at each other, "How the hell did two grown women end up fighting over rides?" Jim asked.

Leonard shook his head, "I don't know. I was expecting it from two kids."

"Mommy!"

Rose stopped and looked down at Miranda, who tugged lightly on her shirt. "What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Can we see Tinkerbelle?" she asked, as Joanna nodded.

"Tinkerbelle?"

Joanna nodded, "Please? We love Tinkerbelle!"

Leonard snorted, "Lord give me strength," he muttered, as Christine poked him.

Rose shrugged, "Sure, why not?" she stood up and took Miranda's hand. "Off to Tinkerbellle!"

They started towards the castle, Joanna holding onto Miranda's hand and her fathers, while Miranda held onto Roses hand as well.

"Who would've thought, " JIm started, as he wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder. "That we would end up in Disney World; married and with a kid?" he asked.

Rose shrugged, "I haven't got the slightest clue," she sighed, before breaking out into a smile. "But I wouldn't trade this moment for a single thing. You're stuck with me, James Tiberius Kirk.."

Jim grinned, "Likewise, Rose Marie Kirk," he leaned in for a quick kiss. "Stuck with me for good."


	40. Chapter 40

**This is it! The final chapter of **_**Heartlines. **_**Thank you so much for the reviews and support during this adventure. Even though this is the final chapter, it may not be the last we see of our lovely Jim and Rose, as well as Miranda! Keep your eyes open for any future works with these characters! Anyways, I have a growing library of stories that are in the works right now, as well as in the process of being developed! Please, if you have the time, take a peek and let me know what you think of them! **

**Again, thank you so much for everything and enjoy!**

Eight Months Later.

"Miranda! Don't run ahead!"

The five and a half year old turned and waited, as her parents caught up with her. Jim scooped her up into his arms and held her close, as the chilly air blew around them.

"Mommy walks too slow!" she whined, as she clutched her father. "She used to be fast and now she's not!"

Jim snorted, "That's because she's carrying your brother around in her belly," he said, kissing her cheek. "We don't want her to fall and hurt herself."

Rose finally caught up to them, a little out of breath with one hand on her growing belly. "I sure as hell didn't miss the cobblestones," she muttered, as Jim wrapped his free arm around her. "Maybe the park would've been a better idea, no?" she asked.

"Bones did say that exercise would be good for you," he said, as she grumbled. "Keep in shape and you'll have an easy labor!" he drawled out, in his faux Southern accent.

Miranda giggled, "I miss Uncle Bones," she pouted. "Can we call him later?"

"It'll be really late by the time we get home, Miranda. Uncle Bones is in Georgia with your cousin Joanna and Aunt Chrissy," she said.

The little girl sighed and nodded, upset at the thought of not being able to call her extended family. "But tomorrow we can call them after lunch. I'm sure Joanna wants to hear all about our trip!" Rose said.

Miranda nodded, "Can I get her a present? I wanna get her a bear wearing those funny hats!" she said, pointing to the guards posted outside of Buckingham Palace.

Rose turned and glared at Jim, who shrugged innocently. "I didn't say anything! It was Chekov!" he insisted, as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure it was," she muttered, before smiling at her daughter. "We can take a look in the shops, darling. But lets have dinner first, " she said. "You're brother is starving and I need energy."

For the first half of the year, the Kirks experienced extreme bliss in their lives. The ups and downs, shaped how they lived in their big house in San Francisco. From living in cramped quarters to a large house, which made odd noises in the night, made it hard for them to sleep the first few months. Both Jim and Rose missed the hum of the _Enterprise's _engines, lulling them to sleep each night. It was a struggle, going from living on a starship to going out to a market for food- let alone driving a car after so many years.

Eventually everyone went their own ways, returning to their families all over the world and calling every few days to every few weeks. Leonard and Christine stayed in San Francisco and lived nearby, which made Rose and Jim happy. After their trip to Disney, as well as a weekend on the beach, the Kirks finally got their chance at expanding their own family. It was during this family vacation, that Rose became pregnant with their first child. Nearing the end of her pregnancy, the growing family decided to take one more vacation together before the baby arrived.

"Are you alright?" Jim asked, as they settled down at a table.

Rose nodded, "He just kicks so hard," she said, rubbing the side of her growing belly. "Takes after you."

Jim winced, "Sorry Rosie. But maybe he'll become a football player?" he asked, shrugging.

"God, I don't know which would frighten me more. Becoming an athlete or taking after his father and joining Starfleet."

Miranda shook her head, "No! He can be a doggy doctor!" she said, as Jim settled her coat on the empty chair next to her. "Then he can fix Uncle Chris' doggy," she said.

Jim was about to tell her that Gable, the old retriever that belong to Chris, wouldn't make it through the next six months, when Rose elbowed him.

"Or he can be a doctor like Uncle Bones and fix people," she said. "Maybe he can help your Daddy with his foot-in-mouth disease." 

Miranda frowned while Jim scowled, "What's that?" she asked, turning to look at Jim. "Why are you putting feet in your mouth, Daddy?"

Rose snickered, hiding behind the menu as Jim tried to explain to Miranda what the saying meant. Once he was sure that Miranda had an idea, a waiter came by and took their orders.

"I could eat everything on that menu, " Rose said, sighing as she rubbed her belly. "All I want to do is eat," she groaned.

"You're pretty good at that," Jim said, as Miranda played with the saltshaker.

Rose glared at him, "Excuse me?" she asked, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I mean," he started, stammering as she held a sharp gaze on him. "I love you?"

Rose sighed and rested her head against his arm, "I just want this baby out so I can see my own feet again," she groaned.

Jim kissed the side of her head, "I like seeing you pregnant," he said, as she sat up to look at him. "All round with our baby floating around in there."

She rolled her eyes, "You're so charming," she muttered, as he leaned closer to her ear. "I'm all flabby and my bum is twice the size it used to be."

"All those curves are to die for, Rose. And I like your ass no matter how big it gets" he lightly kissed her cheek. "The increased libido- damn I need to knock you up more often," he whispered.

Rose elbowed him lightly with a giggle, "Shh, we have a child in our company!"

Jim rolled his eyes and turned to Miranda, "Randa, isn't Mommy beautiful?" he asked.

Miranda looked up and nodded, "Yes Daddy!" she exclaimed. "Mommy is the most beautiful mommy in the entire universe!"

He chuckled, "See, even she thinks you're beautiful!"

"What did she sucker you in to getting for her?" she asked, as he grinned sheepishly.

Once their food arrived, they ate in a steady pace. They only stayed for a few minutes, before paying the check and bundling back up into their coats. The day was coming to an end, as the sun began to set over the London sky. The couple kept a watchful eye on Miranda, as she ran ahead of them.

"Miranda! Stay close, darling!" Rose shouted, as she ran up to a shop window.

"Mommy! Can we go in here?" she asked, waving her parents over.

Jim snickered, "Yeah Mommy! Can we?" he asked, kneeling down to look at whatever Miranda was pointing to.

Rose watched them as Jim took interest in the little auto-controlled figures that moved about in the window. Jim whispered something into Miranda's ear, making her giggle. He then stood up and ruffled her hair, reaching out to take Rose's hand.

"Let's go in and take a peek," he said, earning a squeal of joy from Miranda.

The door to the shop opened and Miranda dashed inside, as her parents took their time. Jim wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and carefully led her to the door, pulling it open for her. Rose stopped and turned to look at him, smiling softly.

"What?" he asked, matching her smile with his own.

She shook her head, "You're a good man, Jim Kirk."

He grinned, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him.

When they pulled apart, Jim rubbed her belly once before taking her hand into his. "Lets get you out of the cold and see what our mischievous child is up to. I have a feeling her Christmas presents weren't enough and we'll have another bag to check in."

With a laugh, Rose followed him into the shop and spotted Miranda by a display of bears. The little girl turned and waved her parents over to them, clutching a bear in her hands.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" she exclaimed, waving the bear at him. "It's Jim Patches brother! He looks like Uncle Bones!"

Jim and Rose laughed as they made their way over to Miranda and the bears, their hands clasped together. As Miranda bounced around the shop, her parents kept their watchful eyes on her, glancing every few minutes at each other.

"Feeling alright?" Jim asked, as Rose rested her hands on the small of her back.

She nodded, "Yeah, just getting really tired," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think I ate too much."

Jim snickered, "Yeah and in an hour you'll be calling room service for something else," he rubbed her back. "Chocolate cake tonight?"

Rose shrugged, "I don't know," she looked up at him, grinning. "I was thinking of something more… blonde."

He whistled, "I know I'm gorgeous," he started off, making her eyes roll. "I think I could spare a little time for your sugar obsession."

She grinned, "Shall we hurry this shopping trip up? I'm one for shopping, but I really can't bear to be out any longer," she begged.

Jim nodded, "I'll go see what the munchkin is up to, and then we'll get a cab back to the hotel."

Rose nodded and waited as Jim went to collect Miranda, taking her up to the cashwrap to pay. A few minutes later, Miranda and Jim met up with her by the door, Jim holding a bag in his hand.

"I see we like to spend money, huh?" Rose asked, as she fixed Miranda's hat.

Jim snorted, "Takes after her mother," he said, pushing the door open.

Rose and Miranda stepped outside into the chilly evening air, and waited for Jim. "I think Miranda needs to get a job," he continued, taking Rose by the hand. "I'm not sure how much longer I can pay for bears and books."

Miranda giggled as she hopped along the cobblestones, her parents following her down the sidewalk.

"Come here, Miranda!" Jim said. "Mommy's tired and we're going to get a car back to the room."

Bounding over to them, Miranda reached up and took Roses' hand. "Is the baby making you tired, Mommy?" she asked.

Rose nodded, "Very much," she rubbed her belly.

Once a cab stopped, the family climbed inside and was greeted with the warmth of the heater. Jim gave the driver the address and sat back against the seat, wrapping his arm around Rose.

"I like it here," he said. "Maybe we should get a vacation house here and spend the summer or the winter here."

Rose snorted, "I thought you said you couldn't afford our lavish tastes?" she asked.

Jim shrugged, "I said bears and books," he pointed out. "It doesn't have to be a big house, Rose. Something small and homey."

"Mmm, that sounds nice," she yawned, resting her head against his arm.

Jim kissed the top of her head, "Rest for a bit," he told her. "I'll wake you up when we get there."

She nodded, "Love you," she mumbled.

He smiled, "Love you, too."

As the cab drove though the streets of London, Jim watched as his daughter played with her new toys, while his wife slept. Resting his hand on her belly, he felt the kick underneath from his unborn son, and couldn't help but smile. From five years of ups and downs, they managed to make it. All they had to do, was follow their hearts and all the lines that connected them to one another.


End file.
